The funeral procession for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the northeastern city of Mashhad has been delayed following a massive turnout at farewell ceremonies in Iraq, organisers said on Thursday.

The committee overseeing the burial arrangements said the procession, originally scheduled to begin at 8am local time, would now start at 2pm after unprecedented crowds gathered in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala to pay their final respects.

Khamenei’s body will be carried along Imam Reza Street to the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) where the final burial ceremonies are due to take place.

The Supreme Leader was assassinated on February 28, alongside several members of his family, during the opening day of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

His multi-day funeral ceremonies began in Tehran, where foreign dignitaries, religious scholars and thousands of mourners attended official events before millions joined the funeral procession through the capital.

The ceremonies later moved to the holy city of Qom before continuing in Iraq.

According to Iraqi media, more than seven million people took part in funeral processions in Najaf and Karbala over a 24-hour period before Khamenei’s body was flown to Mashhad on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani thanked the Iraqi government and people for what he described as a historic display of solidarity, saying the funeral reflected Muslim unity and support for the Palestinian cause.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed gratitude to Iraqi authorities and the public for hosting the ceremonies, describing the millions-strong turnout as an unprecedented demonstration of Islamic brotherhood and a testament to the deep religious and cultural ties between Iran and Iraq.