Iraq: Thousands gather in Iraq for funeral procession of slain Iranian leader Khamenei (3).

SHOTLIST: NAJAF, IRAQ (JULY 8, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING ALONGSIDE WITH VEHICLE CARRYING REPRESENTATITVE COFFIN OF SLAIN IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER ALI KHAMENEI / PEOPLE CARRYING FLAGS AND BANNERS / MOURNERS GATHERED ON BOTH SIDES OF ROAD WHILE VEHICLE PASSINGNAJAF, IRAQ - JULY 8, 2026: A massive crowd of mourners carrying various religious flags and portraits filled the streets of Najaf on Wednesday, July 8, during a farewell ceremony for slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Starting from the early hours of the morning, thousands of people flooded the squares and avenues of the holy Shiite city to take part in the funeral procession and pay their final respects. The arrival of the coffin arrival forms part of a procession carrying Khamenei's body through Shia holy sites in Iran and Iraq before his final burial. The journey will conclude at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad—his hometown—where he is due to be laid to rest on July 9. Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28, triggering weeks of retaliatory attacks from Tehran targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US assets.