Khamenei funeral begins in Najaf as Iraq mourners gather in thousands

Najaf,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2026 11:48 IST

Funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in Iraq's holy city of Najaf on Wednesday, with thousands of mourners taking part. His body is due to be taken next to Karbala before being returned to Iran, as the Islamic Republic continues days-long funeral ceremonies that began on Saturday.

The funeral comes at a time of fresh tension in the region. Talks between the United States and Iran appear to be on hold until after the burial, while strikes by both sides in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday and into Wednesday have raised fears that a temporary deal to end the months-long war in the Middle East could break down.

Khamenei's body arrived in Najaf on Tuesday along with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials. They were received by mourners and supporters carrying portraits of the late supreme leader, while others performed self-flagellation on the streets. His body was kept in a glass-covered casket draped in the flag of the Islamic Republic. Mourners waved Iranian flags as well as red and black flags associated with mourning and revenge.

"We the people of Iraq will remain a thorn in the eyes of the enemies," said Jaafar Jawad, who is taking part in the funeral. "His arrival to us is the greatest possible honour, and God willing we will be loyal, and repay a little of his due in the holy city of Najaf."

The funeral prayers in Najaf are to be held at the Shrine of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and will be led by Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim, a senior scholar at the Najaf seminary. In Karbala, another holy city for Shiite Muslims where Imam Hussein, the Prophet's grandson, was killed in 680 AD, prayers at the Imam Hussein Shrine will be led by Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaei, a representative of Iraq's top Shiite religious authority.

Khamenei was killed in late February in large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iran. He was among several senior Iranian leaders killed during the war and was 86. Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not yet appeared at the funeral ceremonies, which are continuing over several days, and is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father. As the funeral moves from Najaf to Karbala and then back to Iran, regional tensions and the pause in US-Iran talks remain in focus.

With PTI Inputs

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