Najaf [Iraq], July 8 : The funeral procession of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in US-Israeli joint strikes earlier this year, has reached the shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, in the Iraqi city of Najaf on Wednesday, as thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects during the fifth day of a six-day state funeral.
According to Iran's state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the body of Khamenei was carried by mourners into the shrine of Imam Ali, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.
A spokesperson for the funeral headquarters said the procession would continue to the holy city of Karbala before Khamenei's body is returned to Iran for burial.
"The body of the martyr will be buried in Mashhad in the early hours of tomorrow," the spokesperson said, as quoted by IRIB.
The funeral procession crossed into Iraq's Najaf after Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Khamenei's eldest son, Mostafa Hosseini Khamenei, received the body at Najaf International Airport on Tuesday night.
Iraq declared Wednesday a public holiday to mark the funeral ceremonies.
Khamenei's casket, draped in the Iranian flag, was carried through the streets of Najaf to the shrine of Imam Ali, with thousands of mourners participating in the procession.
According to CNN, Iraqi and Iranian flags were seen alongside banners of Iran-backed Iraqi militias as crowds lined the route.
Following the ceremonies in Najaf, the procession is expected to move to Karbala, around 60 kilometres north, where mourners will gather at the shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas.
The body will then be returned to Iran for a final funeral procession before being laid to rest in Mashhad on Thursday.
Iranian officials have described the multi-day funeral ceremonies as a demonstration of national unity during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran's First Vice President Reza Aref thanked the Iraqi government and people for hosting the funeral procession.
"The epic funeral procession of the sacred remains of the martyr Imam in Najaf and Karbala is a shining symbol of the brotherhood and profound cultural and doctrinal commonalities between the two nations of Iran and Iraq. From the bottom of my heart, I express my gratitude to the great religious authorities, scholars, proud tribes, popular groups and organisations, and the esteemed government of Iraq for this magnificent hospitality. This sacred bond is unbreakable," Aref said in a post on X.
Ali Khamenei was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, earlier this year, leading to a widespread conflict in the West Asia region.
Last month, the US and Iran agreed to a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in the region and opening a 60-day dialogue window for technical talks, including discussions over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme.
However, earlier today, US President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire agreement with Iran has effectively concluded for him, declaring that he no longer wishes to engage in diplomatic dealings with Tehran.
Speaking to journalists at the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump categorically stated that the Peace process was over and he would not deal with Iran any longer.
"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum... They're led by sick people... I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate - they're good people... but they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them," he said.
Following Ali Khamenei's death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
As per Al Jazeera, Mojtaba Khamenei will skip the six days of funeral ceremonies for his father now underway in Tehran, citing security concerns amid continued Israeli threats to assassinate him.