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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were in tears during the farewell ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Friday.

Khamenei's final rites were delayed multiple times over security concerns amid the war, which came down after an interim US-Iran peace deal was signed last month. The extremely long gap has raised one question: How was Khamenei's body preserved for more than four months?

Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has said the nation is "not mourning" the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling the week-long funeral ceremonies a "propaganda spectacle" funded by the Iranian people's wealth.

Iran news LIVE updates: Iranian officials have drawn up contingency plans for a potential mass-casualty incident during the funeral processions, which are expected to draw massive crowds from across the country. | World News

According to German newspaper Die Welt, Iranian officials have drawn up emergency plans anticipating anywhere between 1,500 and 3,000 fatalities during the days-long funeral processions, which are expected to attract millions of mourners.

Iranian organisers arranged separate Quranic recitals for foreign delegations that appeared to describe their relationship with the Islamic Republic.

Iranian authorities are putting on a show of strength for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral, but behind the scenes, officials are preparing for up to 3,000 deaths, according to Germany's WELT.

The mourners, some in tears, made their way through strict security towards the courtyard where Khamenei's coffin was placed for people to pay their respects.

Speaking on Saturday morning, IRIB President Payman Jebeli said over two dozen SNG live stream units have been stationed at various locations to properly report the mourning event, Press TV reported.

At Iran's funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, the small coffin of his granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani drew intense attention. The image shifted focus from state power and political transition to the raw grief of personal loss.