Millions of mourners have assembled in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala for funeral ceremonies honoring the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, in a powerful message of deepening ties between the Iraqi and Iranian nation.
Inside the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (a.s.), funeral prayers were performed over the bodies, which included the Leader’s 14-month-old grandchild, who was martyred with him in the US-Israeli attack on Tehran on February 28.
The official procession began at 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday in Najaf, following funeral prayers.
Mourners at the procession carried portraits of Imam Khamenei alongside the current Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, his son, Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei. Many young demonstrators raised red flags—symbolizing a call for revenge—while waving Iraqi, Iranian and Hezbollah flags and chanting anti-US slogans.
The procession moved slowly because of the crowds, heading from the holy shrine, passing through Kufa Bridge and the Thawrat Al-Ashreen intersection toward Al-Sadreen Square, before continuing onward to Karbala.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, said more than 2.3 million people had taken part in the funeral procession in Najaf and that the number was continuing to increase as mourners arrived from across Iraq.
The funeral ceremonies moved to the holy city of Karbala, where the area between the shrines of Imam Hussein (a.s.) and his martyred brother Al-Abbas (a.s.) saw a massive influx of mourners. Markets and shops were draped with portraits of the late leader as more pilgrims continued to arrive.
The bodies were then brought to Karbala for final prayers at the two holy shrines, with initial estimates indicating that seven million gathered across the province to receive the funeral cortege.
The procession marks the final stage of ceremonies in Iraq before the bodies are transferred to Mashhad, Iran, for burial on Thursday.