09.07.2026 09:11
The body of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was brought to the Iraqi city of Karbala at night after a funeral ceremony in Najaf. More than 4 million people attended the funeral.
The body of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was brought to the city of Karbala, Iraq, late at night after a funeral ceremony held in Najaf.
KHAMENEI'S BODY IN KARBALA
Khamenei's body, welcomed on Martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis Street in Karbala, was transported to the shrine of Imam Abbas after midnight due to heavy attendance. Earlier, after funeral prayers were held for Khamenei in Najaf, his body was transferred to Karbala by an Iraqi army helicopter in the evening.
CHAOS ENSUED
As the funeral procession moved toward the shrines of Imam Hussain and his brother Imam Abbas, hundreds of thousands of participants carried Iraqi and Iranian flags. Occasional chaos occurred as the crowd attempted to approach the coffin.
Khamenei's funeral prayers were held in the courtyard of Imam Ali's shrine in Najaf, led by Seyyed Muhammad Taqi al-Hakim.
OFFICIAL HOLIDAY DECLARED IN THE CITY
Due to the heavy turnout, the Karbala Governorate declared Thursday an official holiday across the province. Karbala Governor Nassif Jassim al-Khattabi stated in a statement that the decision for the official holiday was made because millions of people were in the city for the funeral ceremonies, to enable the residents of Karbala to continue serving visitors and to participate in the ceremonies.
Hashd al-Shaabi announced that the number of participants in the funeral ceremony in Karbala exceeded 4 million.