Iranian women hold a pictures of former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in May at Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, Iran. Talks between the United States and Iran have paused for Khamenei's funeral, which starts Saturday. Photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI | License Photo
July 2 (UPI) -- Negotiations between the United States and Iran have paused as Iran prepares for a multiday funeral for its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan said Thursday that talks will resume "at the earliest possible time" after the funeral, which will run from Saturday through July 9, CBS News reported.
Khamenei died in the U.S.-led strikes Feb. 28. CNN reported that Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, called on Iranians Thursday to attend Khamenei's funeral "in large numbers." The country expects attendance at the funeral to range from 15 million to 20 million people, with representatives from 30 countries.
"This martyrdom is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter of national unity, resilience and progress," Pezeshkian said. He said that Khamenei's death demonstrated "this system rests on the firm foundations of faith, ideals and the will of a great nation."
