Iranians to bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Khamenei at Tehran ceremony

DUBAI, March 4 (Reuters) - Iranians will bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a ceremony in Tehran late on Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told state media.

Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Islamic Propagation Council, said the farewell ceremony would continue for three days and the funeral procession will be announced later.

The official said the public will be able to pay their respects to the body of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall starting at 10 p.m. (1830 GMT).

"The Mosalla (prayer hall) will be receiving visitors and the dear people can attend and take part in the farewell ceremony and mark a strong presence once again," he said in comments carried by Iranian media.

Iran's Ali Khamenei, who based his iron rule of Iran on hostility to the U.S. and Israel, was killed on Saturday, aged 86, in air strikes by Israel and the U.S., according to Iranian state media.

(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Tom Hogue and Andrew Heavens)