Funeral procession for Iran's Khamenei to be held in Iraq on July 8

TEHRAN, Iran — A six-day state funeral for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed at his compound in Tehran, will include a cross-border ceremony in Iraq on July 8, 2026, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani announced. Zakani said the body will be taken to Iraq for the ceremony before being returned to Iran for burial. He described the move as a reflection of sectarian unity among Shia communities, while tensions in the region continue. Public funeral rites will be held at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on July 4 and 5, followed by a large procession along the capital's main avenues on July 6, where authorities said up to 20 million people are expected to attend. A commemorative march is scheduled in the city of Qom on July 7. After the Iraqi ceremony on July 8, final rites will take place at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, with the official burial set for July 9.