Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih and Member of Parliament Rauff Hakeem represented Sri Lanka at the state funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, held on Friday (03), where they paid their final respects.

They joined several foreign dignitaries attending the ceremony, including former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese National People's Congress Vice Chairman He Wei, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi.

Ayatollah Khamenei, who led Iran for more than three decades, was killed on February 28 during the opening day of large-scale United States and Israeli air strikes on Tehran.

According to international media reports, Khamenei's coffin was placed on public display on Thursday at the grand prayer hall dedicated to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, where thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects. The coffins of several family members who were also killed were displayed alongside his.

His body is scheduled to be taken on a final journey to the Shi'ite holy cities of Qom in Iran, and Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before being laid to rest in Mashhad on Thursday.

The funeral comes at a pivotal moment for Iran, with the country's leadership seeking to demonstrate unity and resilience following the recent conflict.

Iranian authorities are expected to mobilise millions of mourners for the funeral processions, with transportation, food, and accommodation being provided to facilitate public participation.