Massive turnout in Iraq for funeral of late Iranian supreme leader

BAGHDAD | Xinhua |  Millions of mourners gathered in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday for the funeral processions of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Initial reports indicated that over 2.3 million people participated in the first hour of the procession in Najaf that began early Wednesday morning, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. To facilitate the ceremonies, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared Wednesday a holiday across all state institutions.

The casket of the late Iranian supreme leader is slated to move later Wednesday to neighboring Karbala, where Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, representative of Iraq’s Supreme Religious Authority, will lead prayers at the Imam Hussein Shrine.

On Tuesday evening, al-Zaidi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were among those receiving the casket at Najaf International Airport. During a bilateral meeting held earlier on Tuesday, al-Zaidi affirmed the depth of Iraq-Iran relations and commitment to strengthening cooperation, while Pezeshkian expressed appreciation for Iraq’s efforts and extended an official invitation to al-Zaidi to visit Iran to enhance their partnership in addressing common challenges.

Funeral ceremonies for Khamenei have been held from Friday to Tuesday in Iran’s capital Tehran and its central city of Qom. He will be laid to rest in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Thursday, which the Iranian government has declared a day of national mourning. ■

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