Iran official says supreme leader’s funeral procession to pass through Iraq

TEHRAN: An Iranian official on Wednesday said the funeral procession for late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US-Israeli strikes in February, will pass through Iraq before his burial in Iran.

In a video carried by state media, Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani said the farewell ceremonies and funeral for Khamenei would be held from July 4 to 9.

“On July 8, 2026, they will take place in Iraq, and on July 9, 2026, ‘God willing, in Mashhad’ in Iran, where Khamenei will be buried,” he added.

Like Iran, neighbouring Iraq has a Shiite majority and is home to the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, including the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala and Imam Ali in Najaf.

Zakani, however, did not specify where Ali Khamenei’s body would be taken during the planned processions in Iraq.

Iraqi authorities also did not immediately comment on the announcement.

Zakani also said preparations were underway for funeral processions in Tehran, where officials expect a crowd of almost “20 million people”.

He said the capital “has never had such a large crowd in its history up to now”.

When Ruhollah Khomeini died in 1989, Iranian media reported that nearly 10 million people attended his funeral.