Najaf governor says city ready to receive Khamenei funeral on July 8

NAJAF, Iraq — Najaf Governor Yusuf al-Kirnavi said the province is prepared to receive the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with all state, service and social institutions in the city placed on full alert for the ceremony. Speaking to local media, the governor said details on roads, ceremony sites, logistics, services and security measures would be announced before the burial date. The body will arrive at Najaf Airport on July 8, according to a source close to Iran's Embassy in Baghdad, a date previously confirmed by Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani. In the Iranian capital, officials are assessing routes for the Tehran ceremony, including Enghelab, Azadi and Damavand streets and the Lashkari highway. Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28, according to Iranian accounts cited in the reports. Najaf, one of Shia Islam's holiest cities and home to the shrine of Imam Ali, has long served as a burial site for senior Iranian political and religious figures. No further details on security arrangements or the timing of public ceremonies were immediately available.