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Plane carrying Ayatollah Khamenei’s coffin arrives in Iraq

Security forces stand on a street in front of a banner depicting the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Najaf on July 7, 2026, a day before his funeral procession in the holy Iraqi city. (Photo by AFP)

The plane transporting the coffin of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has landed in Iraq for funeral ceremonies in the Arab country.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said late on Tuesday that the coffins of the martyred members of Ayatollah Khamenei’s family were also on board the plane that arrived at the airport in the central city of Najaf earlier in the day.

An official ceremony is set to be held at the airport with the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. 

The coffins will be taken to funeral processions planned for Wednesday in Najaf and in the holy city of Karbala.

Millions of Iraqis are expected to attend the event, as Ayatollah Khamenei was a respected cleric in Iraq and a source of emulation for millions of Shia Muslims in the Arab country.

PM Al-Zaidi announced Wednesday as a public holiday in Iraq to allow the country to better organize the massive event.

President Pezeshkian had also arrived at Najaf airport to attend the funeral and to hold high-level talks with government officials in the country.

Ayatollah Khamenei and four members of his family were martyred in a joint US-Israeli attack on his office and residence in Tehran on February 28.

The funeral in Iraq comes after two similar processions in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and in the central city of Qom.

His body is planned to be laid to rest on Thursday at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in his hometown of Mashhad.


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