Karbala procession precedes Khamenei burial in Mashhad

Millions of people gathered in Karbala, Iraq, for a funeral procession honoring Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Al Jazeera reported. The event was the final stop before his planned burial Thursday in Mashhad, Iran, according to the network.

Al Jazeera described the Karbala procession as the sixth day of funeral observances for Khamenei. The network reported that mourners came to the Iraqi city to pay respects as his coffin passed through before returning to Iran.

Khamenei was to be buried in Mashhad, which Al Jazeera identified as his hometown. The burial was scheduled for Thursday, the network reported.

The procession placed Karbala, one of Iraq’s major holy cities, at the center of the final public stage of the funeral events. Al Jazeera reported that the gathering drew millions as the funeral moved toward its conclusion in Iran.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.