Key facts
- Tens of thousands of mourners attended funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Najaf and Karbala, Iraq.
- Mourners chanted anti-US and anti-Israel slogans during the ceremonies.
- Khamenei's coffin was carried through the shrines of Imam Ali in Najaf and Imam Hussein in Karbala.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the funeral ceremonies.
- The US and Iran exchanged strikes following attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
- US President Donald Trump declared the preliminary US-Iran agreement to end the war over.
The remains of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were carried through two of Shia Islam's holiest shrines in Iraq as funeral ceremonies continued. Huge crowds filled Najaf for a procession ending at the mausoleum of Imam Ali, where mourners jostled to touch the coffin before prayers. The coffin was later flown to Karbala and taken through crowds to the mausoleum of Imam Hussein. Khamenei, killed in battle during Iran's war with the US and Israel, was to be buried on July 9 in Mashhad, Iran.
Among the tens of thousands of mourners was Mohammed al-Bayati, who stated, "This is an opportunity not to be missed - to take part in the funeral of the person who challenged the power of America and Israel." Chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" were also heard.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior Iranian figures flew to Iraq to attend the ceremonies. The Iranian delegation was welcomed by Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi, whose government declared Wednesday a public holiday. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father, has not appeared in public since reportedly being wounded in the same Israeli air strike that killed his father.
Pezeshkian reportedly flew home after the US and Iran exchanged strikes following attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The US blamed Iran for the attacks and retaliated with strikes on Iranian military targets, while Iran stated it attacked US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. President Donald Trump said the preliminary agreement between the US and Iran to end the war was "over." Iran's Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of violating the deal.