The body of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been delivered to Mashhad, where the funeral will begin with a delay, Mehr news agency reports.

Another agency, Nour News, previously reported that the funeral ceremony for the former supreme leader of the Islamic republic, which was supposed to take place on Thursday morning, has been postponed until 2:00 p.m. the same day due to the delay of Khamenei’s body in Najaf, Iraq.

“The plane carrying the body of the deceased supreme leader landed at Mashhad airport,” the report said.

After the farewell ceremony in Karbala, the coffins containing the bodies of Khamenei and his family were returned to Najaf, from where they were to be transported to Iran for burial. According to the press service of Najaf airport, the plane carrying Khamenei’s body was supposed to depart for Iran at around 9:00–11:00 p.m. Moscow time.

According to Iran’s state broadcasting company, more than 4,700 foreigners from 27 countries arrived in Mashhad to attend the funeral ceremony of the supreme leader.

Khamenei was killed as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28. It was not possible to hold the farewell ceremony for him amid strikes that continued throughout March, as a result of which the authorities decided to postpone the event, citing the need to prepare the infrastructure.