Crowds fill Najaf for Khamenei funeral as Gaza anger cited
Al Jazeera reported more than a million mourners joined Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession in Najaf, with many citing anger over Gaza.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
1 min read
More than a million mourners filled streets in Najaf, Iraq, for the funeral procession of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Al Jazeera. The turnout underscored how the war in Gaza has shaped public emotion around the event, with many mourners telling Al Jazeera that anger over Gaza drove them to attend.
Al Jazeera correspondent Jack Hewson reported from Najaf that the procession drew large crowds through the city. Hewson said many of those present linked their participation to outrage over the war in Gaza.
The report did not give further details on the route of the procession, the timing of any burial rites or the cause of Khamenei’s death. It identified Najaf as the site of the funeral procession and described the crowd as exceeding one million people.
Najaf is in Iraq, and Al Jazeera’s report placed the gathering there on July 8, 2026. The network said the scale of the turnout reflected, in part, the political and emotional weight of Gaza for mourners at the procession.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.