Tehran [Iran], July 6 (ANI): A Houthi official has alleged that former Iranian Supreme Leader late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's support for the Palestinian cause and his influence across the Muslim world made him a target for assassination by the United States and Israel.

According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi official and member of 'Ansarullah's Political Bureau', made the remarks in an interview on Sunday while attending funeral and memorial ceremonies for the late Iranian leader in Tehran.

Al-Bukhaiti said Ayatollah Khamenei's stature extended beyond Iran's geographical and political borders, calling him as 'a symbol of resistance and the struggle for freedom for many nations seeking independence, dignity, and liberation from American and Israeli domination.'

'He will always remain a source of inspiration for people around the world,' he said.

As per IRNA, the Houthi official further claimed that the late leader's 'political and ideological school of thought throughout the Muslim world, together with his efforts to support the liberation of Palestine, were among the main factors that prompted the United States and Israel to assassinate him.'

Meanwhile, Iran's state broadcaster Press TV reported that the funeral procession for the former Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, began on Monday morning in Tehran and is expected to last between 10 and 12 hours as mourners line the route, 'the largest public gathering in the country's modern history.'

According to Press TV, the procession began at 6 am (local time) from Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex, where Khamenei's body had lain in state for the past two days.

'Organisers expect the procession to last 10 to 12 hours, winding along a 10-kilometre [6.2-mile] route through Damavand Street, Imam Hussein Square, Enqelab Street, Enqelab Square, Azadi Street, Azadi Square, and Shahid Lashgari Highway, located near the Mehrabad airport,' Press TV reported.

On Sunday, Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani led funeral prayers for the martyred leader, his son-in-law Dr. Mesbah-ul-Hoda Bagheri-Kani, his daughter Zahra Haddad-Adel, his 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi-Golpayegani, and Seyyedeh Bushra Hosseini-Khamenei.

Press TV said the funeral ceremonies will continue in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday, followed by processions at the shrines of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf and Imam Hussein (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) in Karbala on Wednesday.

It reported that the burial is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 9, at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, in accordance with Khamenei's will.

According to Press TV, delegations from scores of countries, including heads of state, prime ministers and senior officials from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Turkey and several other nations, arrived in Tehran to pay their respects on Friday.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 this year, triggering heightened tensions across West Asia. Millions of mourners gathered in Tehran for the funeral ceremonies, where Iranian political and military leaders pledged to continue his legacy and vowed accountability for those responsible for his death.

Following Khamenei's death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. According to Al Jazeera, he is expected to skip the six-day funeral ceremonies due to security concerns amid continued Israeli threats. (ANI)