The remains of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been carried through two of Shia Islam's most revered shrines in neighbouring Iraq, marking the fifth day of extensive funeral ceremonies. Thousands of mourners gathered in Najaf to witness the procession, which culminated at the mausoleum of Imam Ali, a pivotal figure in Shia Islam. Inside the shrine, crowds reportedly jostled to touch the coffin before prayers were conducted.
Following the ceremonies in Najaf, Khamenei's coffin was flown to Karbala, approximately 60km north, where it was again transported through large crowds to the mausoleum of Imam Hussein. Chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" were heard amidst the solemn atmosphere, reflecting the anti-Western sentiment that defined much of Khamenei's leadership. One mourner, Mohammed al-Bayati, 30, was quoted saying it was an "opportunity not to be missed" to participate in the funeral of someone who challenged American and Israeli power.
The extensive funeral rites are set to conclude with Khamenei's burial on Thursday in Mashhad, located in north-eastern Iran. The ceremonies have drawn senior Iranian figures, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, who flew to Iraq to participate. The Iraqi government declared Wednesday a public holiday in observance of the events. Notably absent from public view, however, has been Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father. He has not been seen since reportedly being seriously wounded in the same 28 February Israeli air strike in Tehran that killed his father, his wife, and several other family members.
These ceremonies unfold against a backdrop of rapidly escalating tensions between the US and Iran. President Pezeshkian reportedly returned to Tehran early on Wednesday following an exchange of strikes between the two nations after attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The US attributed these attacks to Iran and retaliated with strikes on Iranian military targets, to which Iran responded by targeting US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. This military escalation has led President Donald Trump to declare a three-week-old preliminary agreement between the US and Iran to end the war as "over".
The preliminary agreement, a memorandum of understanding signed by Trump and Pezeshkian, aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a critical Gulf waterway through which 20% of global oil and gas shipments pass – and provided a two-month window to finalise a deal on Iran's nuclear programme, US sanctions, and a permanent truce. Iran's Parliamentary Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has accused the US of violating this deal. Last week, mediator Qatar had indicated "positive progress" in indirect talks in Doha, with a subsequent meeting planned after Khamenei's funeral ceremonies, though the current developments cast doubt on these prospects.