Shafaq News-Baghdad
More thantwo million people joined the funeral procession of late Iranian Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei in Najaf on Wednesday, while around 4,300 Iraqi and foreignjournalists covered the event, the Higher Committee for the Funeral Ceremoniesannounced.
Committeespokesperson Saad Maan told Shafaq News that live coverage began at 5 a.m. localtime and continued throughout the day, with media coverage including nearly1,000 accredited international journalists and about 3,300 Iraqi media workersrepresenting television channels, news agencies, radio stations, newspapers,and digital platforms. Around 20 satellite news gathering (SNG) vehicles werealso deployed, most providing clean feeds to media organizations.
Theceremonies, which began in Najaf in the morning, drew crowds that participantscompared to the Ashura and Arbaeen commemorations, when millions of ShiiteMuslims gather in Najaf and Karbala to mourn Imam Hussein bin Ali, the thirdShiite Imam.
Followingthe Najaf procession, Khamenei’s body was scheduled to be transferred toKarbala for additional funeral rites, where security officials expect betweensix and seven million mourners to attend. The body is set to return to Iran onJuly 9 for burial in the northeastern city of Mashhad.