Funeral events for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Khamenei under way in Iraq

Thousands of mourners have gathered in Iraq’s Najaf as funeral processions for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in the holy city.

Iraqi authorities declared Wednesday a public holiday, with procession ceremonies starting at 6am local time (03:00 GMT) in Najaf.

Iran began six days of public funeral ceremonies for Khamenei on Saturday, including a day dedicated to neighbouring Iraq.

It hopes the marathon ceremonies will project strength and unity amid the US-Israel war on Iran, which began with strikes by the two countries on Tehran that killed Khamenei and several of his relatives on February 28.

After a massive procession in Iran’s holy city of Qom, Iraqi officials and senior politicians received Khamenei’s remains on Tuesday night at Najaf international airport in the presence of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the late leader’s eldest son, Mostafa Hosseini Khamenei.

Khamenei’s coffin made its way through the streets of Najaf to the shrine of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law and the first Shia imam.

Najaf is “the third holiest site in Shia Islam after Mecca and Medina”, said Al Jazeera’s Jack Hewson, reporting from Najaf.

“The city is used to seeing huge numbers of pilgrims for religious events, and this seems to be ranking among those in its significance.”

“No one knows the exact number of mourners here in Najaf, but it’s pretty clear that we’re looking at hundreds of thousands,” Hewson added.

Khamenei’s burial will take place on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad, in northeast Iran.

Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not yet appeared in public since taking over as the supreme leader shortly after his father’s assassination, has been notably absent from the processions.

Officials have said he was wounded in the air strikes that killed his father, but the severity of his injuries remains unclear.

After Najaf, Khamenei’s body will be flown to Karbala, about 60km (37 miles) north, for another procession that will culminate at the shrines of Imam Hussein, the third Shia imam, and his brother Abbas.

Esmail Qaani, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, hailed the “spiritual bond” between the two Shia-majority countries.

“The extensive planning for this historical event by the Iraqi government and people shows the depth of the spiritual bond between the two great nations of Iraq and Iran to the whole world,” said Qaani.

Iraqi Mohammed al-Bayati, who travelled for hours to Najaf, said it was “an opportunity not to be missed to participate in the funeral of the person who challenged the power of America and Israel”.