Ali Khamenei coffin arrives in Iraq's Najaf

NAJAF, Iraq,— The coffin carrying Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reached the Iraqi city of Najaf on Tuesday, marking a key stage in a multi-day funeral procession following his death. Khamenei was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and other senior officials met the coffin at Najaf International Airport, state television reported. The arrival came ahead of formal ceremonies and a large public procession planned for the city.

Najaf is one of the holiest sites in Shi’ite Islam. It is the burial place of Imam Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also traveled to Najaf to take part in the ceremonies.

Iraqi political leaders and Shi’ite religious figures attended the airport reception. Officials said the coffin would be carried through the city on Wednesday, with large crowds expected to join the mourning events.

The casket of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, 2026 during Israeli and U.S. airstrikes on Iran, is carried inside the Holy Abbasid Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, July 8, 2026. Photo: INA/ina.iq

The funeral proceedings began in Iran on Friday. Iran’s government organized the events, which combine religious tradition with a show of the Islamic Republic’s stability after the death of a leader who held power for nearly 40 years.

The coffin first traveled from Tehran to Qom, a center of Shi’ite religious study, before crossing into Iraq.

Iraqi security forces increased their presence in Najaf as mourners arrived from across Iraq and nearby countries.

The procession is set to move next to Karbala, another major Shi’ite shrine city, before the coffin is returned to Iran for burial in Mashhad later this week.

A massive public funeral procession moved through the streets of Najaf on Wednesday for the body of Ali Khamenei, starting from the Kufa Bridge. Large crowds gathered to take part in the mourning event, according to Iraqi state-run news agency.

(With files from Reuters | INA)