Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi arrived in Tehran on Friday to participate in the farewell ceremony for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The week-long state funeral for the late Supreme Leader officially commenced at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran, drawing millions of mourners and prominent international dignitaries.

Kurdish and Iraqi leaders are present for the ceremonies in Tehran; today, the Kurdistan Region Presidency confirmed that Nechirvan Barzani has also arrived in the country to attend the funeral.

Official state delegations and high-level representatives from over 100 countries have reportedly traveled to Tehran to attend the ceremonies.

Multi-City State Funeral for Late Supreme Leader Begins

Although Khamenei was killed in Tehran by joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on February 28 following the collapse of nuclear talks, active regional warfare and a 40-day national mourning period delayed his funeral for over four months. 

To accommodate the massive crowds and ensure security for arriving global leaders, the Iranian government has implemented an unprecedented three-day total lockdown of the capital. 

Following the initial ceremonies at the Grand Mosalla mosque, the casket will be transferred to the holy city of Qom before crossing into Iraq for historic public processions in Najaf and Karbala, culminating in the final burial service at the sacred Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on July 9.

Logistical and security preparations are heavily underway across Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala ahead of the arrival of Khamenei's funeral procession on July 8.