Millions Attend Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Funeral in Najaf and Karbala After US and Israeli Strikes

Funeral processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were held in Iraq’s holy Shiite cities of Najaf and Karbala, after his body arrived Tuesday in Najaf and was placed in a casket draped in the Islamic Republic’s flag and encased in glass.

The Times of Israel reported that the days-long funeral began Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace, and daily life in Tehran, and it said Khamenei was killed in late February in widescale US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Al Jazeera

In Najaf, Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim, a senior scholar at the Najaf seminary, led the funeral prayers at the Shrine of Imam Ali, while crowds pushed and shoved as the coffin was carried into the shrine.

In Karbala, the coffin was transported through massive crowds toward the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas, with security forces heavily deployed and medical teams standing ready for emergencies.

Al Jazeera said the funeral events in Iraq began Wednesday with procession ceremonies starting at 6am local time (03:00 GMT) in Najaf, after Iraqi authorities declared a public holiday.

As the coffin moved through Najaf, the Times of Israel described mourners welcoming the body and senior officials escorting it, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and it said some supporters performed self-flagellation while others waved flags symbolizing mourning and a desire for revenge.

A funeral attendee, Jaafar Jawad, told The Times of Israel, We, the people of Iraq, will remain a thorn in the eyes of the enemies, as Karim Hassan described Khamenei’s death as a calamity, a tragedy, and said the funeral ceremonies are a fitting tribute.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera reported that Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, hailed the “spiritual bond” between the two Shia-majority countries and said, “The extensive planning for this historical event by the Iraqi government and people shows the depth of the spiritual bond between the two great nations of Iraq and Iran to the whole world,”.

The same Al Jazeera report said Iraqi Mohammed al-Bayati, who travelled for hours to Najaf, called it “an opportunity not to be missed to participate in the funeral of the person who challenged the power of America and Israel”.

Al Jazeera also noted that Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not yet appeared in public since taking over as the supreme leader, was absent from the processions, with officials saying he was wounded in the air strikes that killed his father.

The funeral in Iraq is scheduled to continue beyond Najaf, with Al Jazeera saying Khamenei’s body will be flown to Karbala after Najaf and that the burial will take place on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad in northeast Iran.

Shafaq News said the Iraq leg was limited to Najaf and Karbala because Iraq had 24 hours to host the ceremonies, and it reported that after the Karbala rites, Khamenei’s body is scheduled to return to Najaf International Airport for transfer to Iran’s Mashhad where he is to be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine on July 9.

PressTV described the final funeral ceremony in Mashhad as taking place on Thursday and said he will be laid to rest at the shrine of Imam Reza, while it also tied the ceremonies to a message of unity and defiance against US-Israeli aggression.

The Times of Israel framed the broader context by saying Khamenei was killed in late February in widescale US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and it described the funeral as crossing the border amid the ongoing war.

In the same Al Jazeera account, the report said Iran began six days of public funeral ceremonies for Khamenei on Saturday, including a day dedicated to neighbouring Iraq, as it hoped the marathon ceremonies would project strength and unity amid the US-Israel war on Iran.