Khamenei’s body to visit Najaf and Karbala before burial in Iran’s Mashhad

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The body of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be taken to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before his burial in Mashhad on July 9, making Iraq a central stop in the funeral ceremonies for one of the Middle East’s most influential leaders. Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the outset of the Middle East war that began on February 28, an event that triggered one of the region’s most significant political, economic, and military crises in decades. Iranian authorities said Khamenei’s remains would be taken to Najaf and Karbala before being buried July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, where he was born. Najaf, home to the mausoleum of Imam Ali, and Karbala, home to the shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas ibn Ali, are among the holiest places in Shiite Islam. Millions of Iranian pilgrims visit the two Iraqi cities every year, and the holy schools of Najaf and Qom have long-standing intellectual and spiritual relations. The decision to include Iraq’s sacred sites into the funeral procession underscored the tight religious links between the two nations. The burial rites have also become an important diplomatic event in the area. Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Speaker of Parliament Hebat Al-Halbousi, and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani visited Tehran to express condolences and participate in mourning services. The ceremonies were attended by Iraqi authorities, as well as top officials and diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Turkey, and numerous other nations. The post Khamenei’s body to visit Najaf and Karbala before burial in Iran’s Mashhad appeared first on Iraqi News.