Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession reaches Iraq, thousands bid him farewell in Najaf

On Wednesday, Iraqi authorities declared an official day off as part of the ceremony, which is included in the six-day state funeral that began in Iran on July 4.

On Tuesday evening, Khamenei’s remains arrived at Najaf International Airport, where they were received by Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and the eldest son of the late leader, Mostafa Hosseini Khamenei. The new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was not present at the ceremony and has not appeared in public since taking office.

The coffin, draped in the Iranian flag, was escorted in a procession to the Imam Ali Shrine, one of the holiest sites for Shiite worshippers. During the ceremony, flags of Iran, Iraq, and Iran-backed groups in Iraq could be seen waving.

After the stop in Najaf, the procession will continue to Karbala, where ceremonies are planned near the shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas. After that, Khamenei’s body will return to Iran, where the final procession and burial ceremony will take place on Thursday.

According to Iranian authorities, the funeral ceremonies are intended to be presented as a display of national unity and solidarity, at a time when tensions with the US and Israel remain high.