Over 2.3 million attend Sayyed Ali Khamenei funeral rites in Najaf

 

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A sea of mourners, estimated at over 2.3 million, flooded the holy city of Najaf on Wednesday as Iraq held its own monumental funeral rites for Iran’s martyred Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, following his assassination in a joint US-Israeli aggression on Iran.

The procession, described by officials as one of the largest in modern regional history, transformed the streets of this sacred city into a canvas of grief, defiance, and political solidarity.

The body of the late leader arrived in Najaf on Tuesday evening aboard a flight accompanied by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Upon landing, the casket was received by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi, alongside a host of Iraqi political, diplomatic, and foreign dignitaries.

In a solemn overnight transfer, the coffin was moved to the shrine of Imam Ali (AS), the holiest site in Najaf, where official and popular ceremonies commenced at dawn.

PMF confirms participation surpassed 2.3 million

By midday Wednesday, Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) confirmed that participation had surpassed 2.3 million, with crowds still pouring in from across the country. Witnesses described a suffocating yet orderly atmosphere, as mourners clad in black beat their chests and chanted dirges, while the specially prepared vehicle carrying the casket inched its way through densely packed human corridors toward the main funeral route.

For many, the journey to Najaf was an act of profound conviction. Mohammed al-Bayati, who traveled from the eastern province of Diyala, told AFP: "This is an irreplaceable opportunity to bid farewell to an exceptional figure who broke the spine of America and the Israeli occupation entity."

He added: "Our million-strong presence today sends a clear message of defiance to Washington and Tel Aviv. They imagined his assassination would end Iran, but today reality proves Iran is stronger and more resilient than ever."

Haider Jaafar, who made the arduous trip from the province of Basra, echoed that sentiment, noting that even Iraqis who disagree with Iranian policy had turned out in force. "The martyrdom of Sayyed Khamenei by joint American-Israeli treachery has united everyone," he said, adding, "Now we have an unshakable conviction that Iran is our strategic depth. If that depth is lost, it means victory for the Israeli occupation over the entire region."

Iraqi security forces and organizational committees worked meticulously to manage the historic throng, according to the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), ensuring that the farewell proceeded with dignity and public order despite the extraordinary congestion.

Colossal turnout reflects ties between Iran, Iraq: analysts to Al Mayadeen

Political analysts speaking to Al Mayadeen described the turnout as a definitive testament to the deep, historic ties between the Islamic Republic and Iraq. "The Iraqi people today are fulfilling their religious and moral duty, honoring their sincere covenant with the martyred leader," one analyst said, citing Khamenei’s historic stances and his pan-Islamic role.

The Najaf ceremonies marked only the first stop in Iraq’s multi-city farewell, before proceeding later on Wednesday to the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) in the holy city of Karbala. The final burial is set for Thursday in the leader’s birthplace of Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, where he will be laid to rest beside the shrine of Imam Ali al-Ridha (AS).

The Iraqi observances follow two days of historic, human-wave funerals in Tehran and Qom, which the Financial Times described as the largest such gatherings in the modern history of the world, a reflection, observers say, of the seismic political and emotional aftershocks of a killing that has reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.