Live: Khamenei Funeral Rites Begin — Millions Head to Tehran as Iran Signals Trade Reset

Thousands of people made their way into Tehran's Grand Mosalla complex for the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as AFP journalists present on the ground witnessed — all of this before the official ceremonies had formally commenced. The vast complex's central courtyard filled up with mourners as the authorities put sweeping traffic curbs in place across the capital. A separate AFP journalist reported witnessing people covering several kilometres on foot simply to reach the venue.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, at a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, stated that the United States has no option but to come to terms with the fundamentally transformed situation that has emerged following the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, according to Al Jazeera. "Compared to earlier, the overall climate has shifted in a positive direction, and the aftermath of the conflict has pushed Americans to recognise the realities as they now stand," Mr. Ghalibaf was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera. "Within this changed environment, commercial ties can be taken to a higher level, and we hope the groundwork for the removal of sanctions will likewise fall into place." The Iranian Parliament Speaker added that the current regional dynamics could open fresh avenues for transit and trade collaboration. "The shared oversight of Iran and Oman over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, together with a rollback of American interference in the region, will produce far better prospects for advancing transit cooperation," he said.

Vast numbers of Iranians are expected to descend on the capital to pay their last respects to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as a lengthy series of funeral observances gets under way — proceedings that the Islamic Republic views as an occasion to project its strength before its adversaries. Iranian authorities have projected that between 15 million and 20 million people could gather in Tehran alone during the three-day public tribute, a farewell befitting the man who steered the country's destiny for roughly thirty-five years. A total of six days of commemorative events have been arranged in Khamenei's honour. He occupied the Islamic Republic's highest office from 1989 until February 28, when he was killed at the age of 86 on the very first day of the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.