Coffin of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei Arrives in Najaf Ahead of Funeral Procession

The coffin of Iran’s martyred Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and his martyred family landed at Najaf Ashraf International Airport in Najaf, Iraq, as Iraqi media reported a massive turnout in Najaf and the holy city of Karbala.

IRNA said the spokesperson for the Najaf Governorate announced the full completion of security, service, and operational preparations for the funeral procession, stating that over one million people were expected to attend the public ceremony in Najaf.

ABNA English

The Straits Times reported that Khamenei’s body arrived in Najaf, Iraq, ahead of public funeral processions in Shia holy cities as part of a six-day ceremony, with Iraqi officials and senior politicians receiving the coffin.

The Straits Times also said the government declared July 8 a public holiday for the mourning events, and that processions set to begin at 6am in Najaf were expected to culminate at the shrine of Imam Ali.

The Straits Times added that after Najaf, Khamenei’s body would be flown to Karbala, around 60km north, for another procession ending at the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived at Najaf airport to attend the official Iraqi ceremony, and IRNA reported he was received by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and set to hold high-level talks with government officials.

Rudaw reported that Zaidi directed that “official working hours be suspended tomorrow, Wednesday, to coincide with the funeral procession” of Khamenei, after Iraq’s Security Media Cell said logistical and security preparations were completed.

Al-Jazeera Net

In Tehran, CBS News said President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, “We're either going to make a deal, or we're going to finish the job. It won't be tough to finish the job.”

CBS News also described mourners calling for revenge, including mourner Sahar Zaraatgar saying, “We are here to show that his path will continue, and every single one of these people will continue down his path with clenched fists, and soon we will certainly avenge his death against the U.S and Israel.”

The Straits Times reported that Iraqi state media broadcast the arrival of the Mahan Air flight that brought Khamenei’s coffin to Najaf airport, where Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had arrived shortly before to attend the official Iraqi ceremony.

The Straits Times said Khamenei, killed on the first day of the Middle East war in US-Israeli strikes, will be buried on July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad in north-east Iran.

Rudaw reported that Khamenei’s final burial is set to take place in the northern shrine city of Mashhad in northern Iran on Thursday, after the body is expected to be transferred first to the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf before moving on to the shrines of his sons Abbas and Hussain ibn Ali in Karbala on Wednesday afternoon.

Al Jazeera Net reported that Iran’s organizing committee announced a four-day plan starting on July 6 from Tehran, passing through Qom, and ending with burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, with transferring the body to Iraq on July 8 for ceremonies in Najaf and Karbala.

Al Jazeera Net also said the spokesperson Iman Attarzadeh confirmed the body would be mourned with members of Khamenei’s family including his son-in-law Dr. Mesbah al-Hoda Baqri, his daughter Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, his daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad Adel, wife of the current leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and his granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Kalbaykani.

The Straits Times described the scale and logistics of the mourning in Najaf, including a 6km procession that should culminate at the shrine of Imam Ali, and said the Iraqi government declared July 8 a public holiday with processions set to begin at 6am in Najaf.