Amid a massive public gathering and participation from foreign mourners, the body of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived in Karbala from Najaf. After visiting the shrine of Imam Hussein, the body will be taken back to his hometown of Mashhad for burial.

Khamenei’s body arrived at Najaf Airport on Tuesday evening, accompanied by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and the Commander of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Qaani.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Zaidi, alongside numerous high-ranking government and party officials, attended the ceremony welcoming the body.

Funeral Ceremonies Continue in Najaf and Karbala 

A public farewell ceremony for the late Supreme Leader and family members killed in the February 28 attack commenced in Najaf at 5:00 AM today, following its initial procession on July 3 in Tehran.

Despite high summer temperatures across both Najaf and Karbala, massive crowds of mourners lined the streets to receive Khamenei’s body despite the weather conditions.

International and Local Mourners Gather in Iraq 

Shia mourners from across Iraq and multiple foreign countries attended the ceremony to mark his death.

One of the participants who traveled from Tanzania to attend the ceremony told Channel8, "Najaf is beautiful, and we saw that it is one of the best and most pleasant cities; its people are kind and gave us a warm welcome. This is my second year coming here, and I am a Hawza (Shia Islamic seminary) student."

Another participant said, "I came from Maysan to this place for the funeral procession of the martyred Khamenei. We thank you for covering this historic event. Iraq is honored to welcome Khamenei's body. We thank God for supporting us in attending this occasion and receiving his body."

Speaking on the importance of the gathering, one participant emphasized that, "This million-man procession is proof of the unity of the Iraqi people across all components. It is also a statement of our support for Iran and their Prayers Held at Shrine of Imam Ali victory in confronting oppression and tyranny."

Prayers Held at Shrine of Imam Ali 

Concurrently, the funeral prayer was performed at the Shrine of Imam Ali in the presence of the two sons of Iraq's Supreme Shia Cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Following the prayer, the procession departed Najaf, arriving in Karbala at 4:00 PM.

Spokesperson Outlines Crowd and Media Statistics 

Saad Maan, the spokesperson for the High Committee for the Farewell Ceremony, announced that the event in Najaf proceeded without incident and strictly according to schedule.

Maan noted that approximately three million people participated in the procession, which began at the Sadrin Bridge and concluded at the Shrine of Imam Ali.

He added that around 4,300 Iraqi and foreign media outlets participated in covering the farewell ceremony for Khamenei’s body, with all Iraqi satellite channels broadcasting the event live.