Huge crowds mourn Khamenei during funeral procession in Najaf

Huge crowds mourn Khamenei during funeral procession in Najaf Thousands of people thronged the streets of Najaf and packed the courtyards of its majestic shrine as they mourned the late supreme leader during his funeral procession in Iraq. Iran began six days of public funeral ceremonies for Khamenei on Saturday, including a dedicated day in neighbouring Iraq, home to the most sacred Shia shrines. After a massive procession in Iran's holy city of Qom, Khamenei's body was brought Tuesday night to Iraq, where authorities declared Wednesday a public holiday. Inside the shrine, thousands jostled to get closer to the coffin as it was carried away in the mausoleum's halls -- its last stop in Najaf before being flown to the other holy city of Karbala. Khamenei's funeral will conclude with his burial on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad in northeast Iran. (Reporting by AFP) Mourners carrying the coffins of relatives of late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Abbas Shrine in Karbala on July 8, 2026, ahead of a funeral procession. (AFP)