Khamenei to be buried in Mashhad today, millions pay tribute in Najaf

The funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is scheduled to be held in Mashhad, Iran today, Thursday. He will be buried in his birthplace Mashhad, Iranian sources said.

Earlier, as part of the state mourning ceremony, his body was taken to the holy city of Najaf in Iraq on Wednesday. Millions of people participated in the mourning procession there and paid their last respects to him.

After the formalities in Najaf, Khamenei's body is scheduled to be taken to Karbala. There, after paying homage at the shrines of Imam Hussein (RA) and Hazrat Abbas (RA), the body will be taken back to Iran.

The mourning procession in Najaf began under tight security from Wednesday morning. The coffin wrapped in the Iranian national flag was kept in a special glass-enclosed vehicle. Prayers were offered for him at the holy shrine of Hazrat Ali (RA).

The mourners carried Iranian national flags, black mourning flags and red flags. Many were seen expressing their grief by slapping their chests. Volunteers distributed food and drinks to mourners on various streets of Najaf and Karbala.

The state funeral is taking place at a time when military tensions between the United States and Iran have risen again. In the context of recent attacks and counterattacks centered on the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian government wants to present the funeral as a message of national unity and resistance.

Najaf is one of the holiest cities for Shia Muslims. Many Shia religious leaders have studied and conducted religious activities here at different times in history. The leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, also once stayed in Najaf.

Meanwhile, it is reported that Khamenei's second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is being discussed as his successor for security reasons, has not yet come out in public. However, Iranian media reports say that he is carrying out his duties through written messages.

Analysts say the large turnout in Najaf is not just a religious mourning ceremony; it is also a symbol of the political, religious and spiritual ties between Iran and Iraq. Relations between the two countries have grown closer since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, as reflected in the arrangements for Khamenei's final farewell.