Funeral prayers for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in Najaf, Iraq, on Wednesday, as thousands of mourners gathered in the holy city to participate in ceremonies marking the death of the long-time Iranian leader. Khamenei’s body arrived in Najaf on Tuesday, beginning the Iraqi leg of a multi-city funeral procession that will also include the Shia holy city of Karbala before the remains are taken back to Iran. The funeral prayers in Najaf are being held at the Shrine of Imam Ali, one of the most significant religious sites for Shia Muslims worldwide.

The prayers are being led by Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim, a senior scholar at the Najaf seminary.  The ceremony has brought together Iranian officials, Iraqi religious figures and supporters who gathered to honour Khamenei’s decades-long leadership of the Islamic Republic. Khamenei’s body was transported in a casket covered with the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran and placed inside a glass enclosure. As the procession moved through Najaf, mourners waved Iranian flags along with red and black banners traditionally associated with grief and remembrance.

Several participants took part in religious mourning rituals, reflecting the significance of Najaf as a centre of Shia Islamic faith. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials accompanied Khamenei’s body during its arrival in Iraq. They were welcomed by crowds of supporters who gathered in the city considered among the holiest destinations for Shia Muslims. Iraqi mourners expressed solidarity with Iran and described the arrival of Khamenei’s remains in Najaf as a moment of religious and political significance.

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The funeral ceremonies are taking place at a time of heightened tensions across the Middle East. Relations between Iran and the United States remain strained following months of military confrontation, while diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran have reportedly been delayed until after the burial ceremonies conclude. Recent strikes and retaliatory actions in the Persian Gulf have further increased concerns that efforts to stabilise the region could face new challenges. Following the Najaf ceremony, Khamenei’s funeral procession will move to Karbala, another major Shia pilgrimage destination in Iraq.

Prayers there will be held at the Imam Hussein Shrine, where Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaei, a representative of Iraq’s highest Shia religious authority, is expected to lead the proceedings. Karbala holds deep religious importance for Shia Muslims as the site where Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was killed in 680 AD during the Battle of Karbala. Khamenei was killed in late February during large-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to reports.  He was among several senior Iranian officials who died during the conflict and was 86 years old at the time of his death.

His leadership shaped Iran’s domestic and foreign policies for decades, particularly in its relations with Western nations and regional allies. Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not made a public appearance during the ongoing funeral ceremonies. Reports have suggested that he has remained away from public view after allegedly suffering injuries in the airstrike that killed his father. The multi-day funeral events are expected to continue as Iran and its supporters commemorate the life and legacy of one of the country’s most influential political and religious figures.

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