Iran begins public mourning for Ayatollah killed in February

Khamenei’s body will then go to Najaf, Iraq, on Wednesday. After the parade at the tomb of Imam Ali, the first imam of the Shiites, the ceremonies will continue in Karbala before the body is sent to Iran.

While Iranian officials say the events in Iraq follow the demands of Iraqi groups, some analysts see these events as representative of Khamenei’s influence in the Shiite Muslim world and Iran’s religious and political ties in the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Baghdad to coordinate arrangements and said the funeral had “symbolic importance”.

On Thursday, Khamenei will be buried in his birth city, Mashhad, at the Imam Reza Shrine, the mausoleum of the eighth imam of Shiite Islam and Iran’s most important pilgrimage site, attracting millions of visitors every year.

Representatives from many countries, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are expected to attend the ceremonies.

The ceremonies will continue across the country for 40 days, and commemorative events will be planned leading up to the one-year anniversary of Khamenei’s funeral.