Funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei commenced in Iraq on Wednesday, with throngs of mourners filling the streets of Najaf. From there, the coffin will proceed to Karbala before returning to Iran for burial in the city of Mashhad.
Khamenei’s coffin arrived at Najaf’s airport late Tuesday, greeted by Iraqi officials including Prime Minister Ali Al-Zeidi and leaders of the Coordination Framework Alliance, alongside politicians and other leaders.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani also attended. Mustafa, one of Khamenei's sons, was present, though Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded as Supreme Leader in March, has not appeared publicly since his appointment.
As the coffin, draped in the Iranian flag, was carried through Najaf’s streets on a truck, crowds gathered, with some attempting to touch it.
The funeral procession will conclude at the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, where hundreds of clerics are expected to conduct prayers over the body before it moves to the holy city of Karbala.
The funeral coincided with renewed tensions between Iran and the United States over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a longstanding focal point of conflict.
The U.S. military announced strikes on over 80 Iranian targets in response to attacks attributed to Tehran on three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard targeted numerous U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Later on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his belief that the memorandum of understanding which halted hostilities with Iran is now “void.”