ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The body of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (1939-2026) arrived in the holy Shiite city of Najaf late Tuesday.
Najaf is the first stop for Khamenei's body before it is transferred to the neighboring province of Karbala, and from there to its final resting place in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and a number of the country's political elites received the body of the slain Iranian leader at Najaf International Airport.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also arrived at the airport to take part in the mourning rites. Zaidi has already directed government institutions to suspend working hours during Khamenei's funeral procession on Wednesday.
In Najaf, Khamenei's body will be taken to the shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth successor to the Prophet Muhammad and first Shiite Imam.
Almost every corner of the city is covered with portraits of Khamenei and Iranian flags. Millions of people have flocked to the city, including visitors from Iran and Pakistan.
Abu Huda al-Shatri, a mourner from Basrah, told Rudaw's Mustafa Goran on Tuesday that Khamenei's passage through Najaf is "deeply needed" for Iraqis.
He said, "We are followers of the Ahl al-Bayt [belonging to the Prophet's house]; therefore, it is our duty to be present at this funeral ceremony to receive this great honor. Firstly, he is a great Marja' [highest religious authority] of ours, and secondly, he is a great martyr."
Khamenei was killed on February 28, on the first day of the joint US-Israeli aerial campaign launched against Iran, along with several of the country's top leaders and commanders.
In addition to political and military leaders, five members of his family were killed in the attack, including his wife, who died days later of critical injuries.
His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, also sustained injuries. He was named his father's successor but has made no public appearance since the attacks.
