WANA (Jul 08) – Millions of mourners gathered in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday morning to take part in the funeral procession for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

 

The public processions follow the arrival of the bodies of the late leader and his family members at Najaf International Airport on Tuesday night, where they were received with high-level official honors by Iraqi dignitaries.

 

Streets leading to the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf were packed with hundreds of thousands of mourners. The crowds chanted slogans such as “We are at your service, O Hussein” and “We are at your service, O Khamenei” as they bid farewell to the late leader.

 

Iraqi media outlets reported that the procession in Najaf began from the Kufa Bridge toward the holy shrines amid tight security. Prominent figures joined the massive crowds, including Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, who attended the ceremony in Najaf alongside the mourners.

 

Al-Sumaria News reported that the massive public turnout reflects the deep religious and spiritual ties connecting the masses to the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei. Top officials, including Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi and Ammar al-Hakim, head of the National Wisdom Movement, arrived in Najaf to attend the ceremonies.

Funeral Procession for Late Iranian Leader Begins in Iraq

Mourners at the procession carried portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei alongside his son, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei. Many young demonstrators raised red flags—symbolizing a call for retribution—while chanting “We will never submit to humiliation,” “God is Great,” and anti-American slogans.

 

Inside the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali, funeral prayers were performed over the bodies, which included the Supreme Leader’s 14-month-old grandchild. Photographers captured emotional scenes of mourners carrying the late leader’s personal belongings and prayer rugs.

 

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) media center announced that the number of participants in the Najaf procession surpassed 2.3 million people, with crowds continuing to arrive. Images from the scene showed a sea of Iraqi, Iranian, PMF, and Hezbollah Al-Nujaba flags.

 

Processions Continue in Karbala

The funeral ceremonies extended to the holy city of Karbala, where the area between the two holy shrines witnessed a massive influx of people. Local markets and shops were adorned with portraits of the late leader, alongside arriving Iranian and Turkish pilgrims.

 

The bodies of Ayatollah Khamenei’s family members arrived in Karbala for final prayers at the shrines of Imam Hussein and Hazrat Abbas. Initial estimates indicated that nearly 7 million mourners mobilized in Karbala province to receive the funeral cortege.

 

This procession marks the final stage of the ceremonies in Iraq before the bodies are transported to Mashhad, Iran, for burial on Thursday.