Early in the morning, tens of thousands of Iranians gathered in the heart of Tehran to bid farewell to their late President Ebrahim Raisi, as reported by state television, cited by AFP.

Raisi lost his life on Sunday in a helicopter crash amid adverse weather conditions in a mountainous region.

The mourners congregated in the vicinity of Tehran University, where a memorial service is anticipated to be led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Raisi, aged 63, perished in the crash alongside seven others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolakhian.

Widely regarded as a potential successor to Khamenei, Raisi's untimely demise has cast a pall over the nation. Following the news of his passing, a period of mourning lasting five days was declared by the authorities.

The loss of Raisi, a prominent figure in Iranian politics, has reverberated deeply across the country, prompting an outpouring of grief from citizens and leaders alike.