Huge crowd attends Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral in Iraq

Large crowds of mourners gathered in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday to take part in the funeral ceremonies for Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Iraqi officials reported that millions attended the events, with senior political leaders and religious figures also participating.

The funeral procession began at 6:00 a.m. local time in Najaf after funeral prayers were offered at the shrine of Imam Ali (AS). Following the prayers, the procession moved through major routes in the city, including Kufa Bridge, Thawrat al-Ashreen intersection, and al-Sadreen Square, before continuing toward Karbala.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) stated that more than 2.3 million people had joined the procession in Najaf, adding that the number continued to grow as additional mourners arrived from different parts of the country. Meanwhile, reports citing officials in Karbala indicated that approximately seven million people had gathered in the city for the farewell ceremonies.

From the early hours before sunrise, thousands of people traveled to Najaf from provinces such as Basra, Muthanna, and Maysan, creating heavy traffic on roads leading into the city. The six-kilometer procession route was packed with mourners carrying portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei while waving Iraqi, Iranian, and Hezbollah flags.

The city was filled with an atmosphere of mourning as elegies and religious chants echoed through the streets. A specially prepared vehicle carrying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body moved slowly through the dense crowds, allowing participants to pay their final respects. Security personnel and event organizers remained on duty throughout the ceremonies to ensure public safety and manage the large number of attendees.

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Before the procession began, funeral prayers were held for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the shrine of Imam Ali (AS). After the ceremonies in Najaf concluded, the bodies were transported to Karbala.

Upon arrival in Karbala, farewell ceremonies were held at the shrines of Imam Hussein (AS) and his brother Abbas (AS), where mourners gathered to honor the deceased. Black banners and mourning tents lined the streets and public squares, reflecting the solemn nature of the occasion.

Although the official program was scheduled to last only a few hours, the extraordinary turnout made the event one of the largest funeral gatherings witnessed in the modern history of Najaf and Karbala. Both cities are accustomed to hosting millions of pilgrims during major Islamic occasions, including Muharram, Safar, Shaaban, and Ramadan, but reports described the scale of this gathering as exceptional.