Iran has postponed the burial ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after larger-than-expected crowds attending funeral events in Iraq delayed the procession.

The burial, originally scheduled for July 9 morning in Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace, has been rescheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT), The Caspian Post reports via Al Jazeera.

The delay followed massive gatherings in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, where mourners participated in funeral ceremonies on July 8 before the procession continued to Iran.