Watch: Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf break down as Iran bids farewell to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the country's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were seen sobbing as the Islamic Republic paid its last respects to slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nearly four months after he was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

Iranian authorities are organising six days of funeral ceremonies to honour Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic from 1989 until his death at the age of 86.

The funeral came after five weeks of fighting that has now paused following an initial accord between Iran and the United States. The ceremony also allowed Iranian authorities to project the resilience of the Islamic Republic after the conflict.

Khamenei's coffin was carried into the funeral complex draped in the flag of the Islamic Republic, with his black turban placed on top. However, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named supreme leader a week after his father's death, did not make a public appearance at the funeral.

International dignitaries attend the funeral

India was represented at the funeral by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, while PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Congress leader Salman Khurshid and several others also paid tribute to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral ceremonies.

Foreign dignitaries also included Turkmenistan's chairman of the People's Council, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Press TV reported.

Parliament speakers from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan also attended, along with the foreign ministers of Nicaragua, Congo and Burkina Faso, the president of Egypt's Senate, the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement and Oman's parliament speaker.

Other attendees included Shanghai Cooperation Council Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev, the deputy secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and delegations from several other countries.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday, "We have high-level delegations from neighbouring countries. At least eight heads of government, including presidents or prime ministers, and parliamentary speakers from 12 countries will attend."

"Many other countries will be represented at the level of foreign ministers, other ministers, or special envoys," he added.