ALWAGHT- Senior Iraqi officials, tribal leaders, and vast crowds participated in ceremonies welcoming Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s body.
The body of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei arrived in Iraq’s holy city of Karbala on Wednesday after funeral ceremonies in Najaf, where Iraqi officials, tribal leaders, and vast crowds gathered to receive the procession. Millions of mourners were reported to have lined the Najaf–Karbala route as the body was transferred between the two holy cities.
Funeral rites in Najaf drew an estimated 2.3 million mourners, according to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The procession was attended by senior Iraqi officials and accompanied by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with the body taken to the shrine of Imam Ali (AS) before continuing to Karbala.
The ceremonies are part of a multi-city farewell in Iraq before Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s burial on Thursday in Mashhad, Iran, beside the shrine of Imam Reza (AS). Participants and analysts described the massive turnout as a reflection of the close religious and political ties between Iran and Iraq.
