Representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which begins on Friday, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

Khamenei, aged 86, was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on his compound on February 28, the first day of the US-Israel war on Iran.

The funeral was initially scheduled for March but was delayed due to the ongoing war. The commemoration will start in Tehran on Friday and last for seven days, with ceremonies in cities across Iran and Iraq.

Friday's event is the main one for foreign leaders. On Saturday and Sunday, public ceremonies will be held in Tehran, with Khamenei's coffin displayed at the Grand Mosalla prayer complex.

On Monday and Tuesday, the funeral procession moves south to Qom. On Wednesday, an official reception will be held at Najaf International Airport in Iraq, followed by processions in Najaf and Karbala.

The body will then return to Iran for final burial at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad. The proceedings are expected to be among the largest public funerals in modern history, surpassing the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini.

Iran's current Supreme Leader and Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not attend due to security concerns following Israeli threats to assassinate him.

Iranian military commander Ali Abdollahi warned the US and Israeli regimes against any attack, stating that any aggression would face harsh retaliation.

Source: www.aljazeera.com