WANA (Jul 08) – A sweeping coalition of Iraq’s top political, military, and religious leaders, alongside millions of mourners, gathered in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday for the funeral procession of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

 

Following the arrival of the late leader’s body in Iraq, an official reception ceremony was held at Najaf International Airport, drawing the country’s highest-ranking statesmen to oversee and participate in the historic procession leading toward the holy shrines.

 

Political Unity and State Representation

The event saw a rare display of total political consensus within Iraq’s Coordination Framework. Current Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, alongside former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, led the official state reception.

 

They were joined in the front rows of the procession by former Prime Minister and leader of the State of Law Coalition Nouri al-Maliki, Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, and Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Fatah Coalition.

 

On the administrative front, Ihsan al-Awadi, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, and Jassim Nassif al-Khattabi, the Governor of Karbala, directly supervised the logistical operations to manage the massive influx of mourners.

 

Security Mobilization by Popular Mobilization Forces

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) took full charge of the extensive security apparatus required for the million-man march. PMF Chairman Falih al-Fayyadh and Chief of Staff Abdul Aziz al-Muhammawi (Abu Fadak) personally participated in the procession while ensuring a secured environment across the transit routes.

 

Key military figures, including Qais al-Muhammawi, Deputy Commander of Joint Operations, Ali al-Hamdani, Commander of the Mid-Euphrates Operations, and Muhannad al-Oqabi, PMF Media Director, played pivotal roles in organizing the movement of the crowds.

 

Religious Standing and Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s Representation

The religious dimensions of the funeral highlighted the deep ties between the Shiite clerical establishments of Najaf and Qom. A profoundly significant moment of solidarity occurred near the holy shrine of Imam Ali, where Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Reza Sistani, the eldest son of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, attended the funeral rites alongside his brother to pay respects to the late Iranian leader.

 

Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, the official representative of Grand Ayatollah Sistani and the spiritual custodian of the Imam Hussain Holy Shrine, is scheduled to lead the funeral prayers in Karbala later this afternoon.

 

Other notable religious and political-religious figures in attendance included Sadrist Movement leader Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, head of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, and Qais al-Khazali, Secretary-General of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq movement, alongside delegations representing various Grand Ayatollahs.

 

Massive Tribal Presence

Adding a powerful grassroots element to the proceedings, influential leaders from Iraq’s most prominent Arab tribes arrived in traditional attire to march in the front ranks.

 

Tribal chiefs from the Bani Assad, Bani Lam, Al-Sahlan, Al-Omar, Al-Abous, and Al-Zawalim tribes formally took part in the mourning ceremonies, reaffirming the deep-seated cultural and spiritual connection between Iraq’s tribal heartlands and the legacy of the late leader.

 

The massive gathering—uniting Iraq’s state infrastructure, military leadership, top clerical authorities, and tribal networks—has broadcast a clear message to the world regarding the late leader’s enduring influence and the continuation of his geopolitical path in the region.