July 3 (UPI) -- Iran began a weeklong funeral ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members Friday that's expected to stretch across five sites and two countries.

Iran has begun a dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war.

Crowds urge 'death' to America and Israel; millions set to flood Tehran's streets in organized show of force as slain supreme leader's casket starts journey through cities in Iran and Iraq; unclear if his son and successor, Mojtaba, will appear

Officials nixed supreme leader's request to perform burial rites for his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei, as Mojtaba's public absence fuels conservative infighting, NYT says

Waving blood-red flags seen as a call for vengeance and justice under Shia Islam, mourners thronged the Grand Mosalla religious complex.

The ceremonies are expected to draw between 15 and 20 million mourners, before being laid to rest in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, his birthplace.