More than 10 million people took part in funeral processions for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, according to Ehsan al-Awadi, head of the Iraqi body that organized the ceremonies.
Al-Awadi, who directs the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister and chaired the High Committee assigned to prepare and organize the funeral, said the body of Khamenei and the remains of four of his family members departed at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday bound for Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
The processions in Najaf and Karbala the previous day were completed smoothly and without any recorded breaches or notable incidents, al-Awadi said, crediting public discipline and coordination among the participating institutions.
