Iraq’s Top Shia Cleric Refuses to Lead Funeral Prayers for Khamenei

As the scheduled transfer of Ali Khamenei’s coffin to Iraq approaches for a new phase of the late Supreme Leader’s funeral services, Mohammad-Reza Sistani, the eldest son of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest Shia authority in Najaf, has notified Ali Khamenei’s office that his father will not recite the funeral prayer over the body.

Earlier, Mohammad-Kazem Al-e Sadeq, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Iraq, had announced that the official reception ceremony for Ali Khamenei’s body would take place on Tuesday evening in the city of Najaf, with the public funeral procession continuing at 6:00 AM on Wednesday in both Najaf and Karbala.

Meanwhile, Javad Shahrestani, Ali Sistani’s son-in-law and his official representative in Iran, was also notably absent from the funeral procession and prayers held for Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani had previously condemned threats against the life of the Islamic Republic’s leader and warned of the consequences. However, following the death of Ali Khamenei, he has released no messages or official statements.

Sistani’s refusal to recite the funeral prayers over Ali Khamenei’s body comes at a time when the Islamic Republic, since the death of its second leader, has organized a series of extensive funeral and memorial services across several Iranian cities and is now attempting to sustain this ritual by hosting events in Iraq’s holy cities. The absence of Iraq’s most influential Shia authority from this phase of the events stands out as one of the most significant diplomatic and religious developments surrounding the Iraqi leg of Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession.