Millions of mourners continued to throng the streets of Tehran on Monday as funeral processions for the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and members of his family moved through the capital, prompting organisers to temporarily halt the funeral convoy to allow more people to join the ceremonies.

The procession, which Iranian officials described as the largest public gathering in the country’s modern history, stretched across major roads and public squares in Tehran, with crowds lining a route from Imam Hussein Square through Enqelab Street and Azadi Square and the Lashkari Expressway towards the area near Mehrabad Airport.

Organisers said the funeral vehicle carrying coffins of Ayatollah Khamenei and several members of his family stopped near Azadi Square to allow mourners arriving later to participate in the ceremonies.

Officials announced that, following the conclusion of the ground procession, the coffins would be flown by helicopter over the funeral route to enable participants to bid a final farewell.

“The body of our martyred leader will be flown back over the entire procession route by helicopter so that everyone can have a final glimpse,” General Hassan Hassanzadeh told mourners gathered in the capital.

The funeral procession also carried the coffins of other members of Ayatollah Khamenei’s family, including his daughter Seyyedeh Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, his son-in-law Mesbaholhoda Bagheri, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel, and his granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi-Golpayegani, who were killed alongside him during a joint US-Israeli strike.

Large crowds, many dressed in black and carrying Iranian flags, portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei and red flags symbolising calls for retaliation, gathered across the capital before dawn.

Mourners chanted slogans expressing support for Iran’s resistance movement and pledged to continue the late leader’s legacy.

Several senior Iranian officials, including Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, were seen attending the funeral procession.

Authorities said Tehran’s metro and public transport networks were operating at full capacity, while emergency services, including medical teams, firefighters and security personnel, had been deployed across the city to manage crowds and ensure public safety during the ceremonies, which were expected to last between 10 and 12 hours.

According to the official schedule, funeral ceremonies will continue on Tuesday in the holy city of Qom, followed by commemorative processions on Wednesday in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.

Ayatollah Khamenei is scheduled to be buried on Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad, in accordance with his final wishes.