Khamenei's coffin is carried through crowds as it travels from Iraq to Mashhad for burial. Photo: Tasnim
The six-day funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, entered their final stage on Thursday, July 9, as his coffin was transported from Iraq’s holy city of Najaf to Mashhad in northeastern Iran. He will be buried at the holy shrine of Imam Reza, marking the conclusion of the funeral ceremonies.
Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of Khamenei’s office, said the late leader had requested to be laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad at the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia imam.
Millions of mourners have attended the funeral ceremonies held across Iran and Iraq over the past six days. Following processions in Tehran and Qom, Khamenei’s coffin was taken to Iraq at the request of Iraqi religious scholars. On Wednesday, July 8, large crowds gathered in Najaf and Karbala to pay their final respects before the coffin departed for Mashhad. Iraq declared Wednesday a public holiday to facilitate the ceremonies.
The procession in Iraq continued longer than expected, prompting organisers to postpone Thursday’s burial ceremony in Mashhad from the originally scheduled 6 am Iran time (8 am IST) to 2 pm local time (4 pm IST).
Khamenei was killed on February 28 in the opening US-Israeli strikes on Iran, along with several members of his family and senior Iranian officials. His burial comes as renewed US strikes on Iran have raised fears of further escalation in the Middle East conflict.
This post was last modified on July 9, 2026 12:50 pm