Mourners wave Shiite religious flags and a portrait of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei outside the Imam Ali Shrine on the eve of funeral ceremonies in Najaf, Iraq, Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Funeral processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have begun Wednesday in Najaf, Iraq, with thousands of mourners present. The dayslong funeral started Saturday in Tehran, with authorities shutting down streets and airspace. Khamenei's body will be taken from Najaf to Karbala before returning to Iran. Khamenei led Iran for decades, confronting the West with an iron fist. Talks between the U.S. and Iran appear to be on hold until after the burial. Strikes from both sides in the Persian Gulf Tuesday and into Wednesday has raised the risk that the interim agreement to end the war could break down.