Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral to include a stop in Iraq

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The multi-day funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s late Supreme Leader, is expected to include a stop in Iraq on July 8, 2026, before his burial in Iran.

In a statement to local media, Tehran’s Mayor Alireza Zakani said that the body will be moved to Iraq to demonstrate transnational Shiite religious unity amid current regional tensions.

The nationwide state funeral will last six days and include marches in key cities in both Iran and Iraq.

Public funeral ceremonies will take place in Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on July 4 and 5.

On July 6, a large funeral procession is scheduled to take place through the main streets of Tehran, with officials anticipating that up to 20 million mourners may attend. The memorial procession in the historically significant city of Qom is set for July 7.

On July 8, a cross-border parade is scheduled to take place in Iraq.

The renowned Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran’s second-most populated city, will host the last ceremonies and a formal burial on July 9.

While Iraqi government officials have not made any public remarks about the plans, media sources suggest a large route via the Iraqi towns of Najaf and Karbala, which are considered the holiest places in Shiite Islam.

Khamenei died in February 2026 due to coordinated air assaults by the US and Israel targeting Tehran. The significant scale of the ceremonies and the truce that lasted several weeks postponed the funeral of this prominent Iranian figure until July.