The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia umbrella Hashd al-Shaabi, responsible for security at the funeral, says 2.3 million people took part in today's ceremonies in Najaf. The claim has not been independently verified.
Tonight, the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi militia umbrella claimed that 2.3 million people attended the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Najaf. The claim, issued by the security force responsible for the event, has not been independently verified. The figure would be the largest reported for the Najaf ceremony so far, but it comes amid a thread of conflicting attendance estimates that have characterized the funeral proceedings from the start.
The thread began at 06:50 Jerusalem this morning, when The Zioneer reported Iraqi reports of large crowds in Najaf. Shortly after, at 06:50, we reported that President Pezeshkian and IRGC commander Qaani accompanied the body to Karbala. At the same time, a source mocked the "never-ending" funeral, and the procession was reported to have reached Najaf and continued to Karbala. By 06:50, an Iranian source confirmed the funeral was held in Najaf this morning. Throughout these reports, no official crowd size was given from Iraqi or Iranian sources until now. The Hashd al-Shaabi claim is the first numerical estimate from the Iraqi side, but it originates from a single, affiliated source.
The claim echoes earlier disputed figures from the wider funeral. As The Zioneer reported on Mon Jul 6, Iranian state TV claimed 20 million attended in Tehran, a figure that was not independently verified. On Jun 23, a senior Iranian judiciary official said over 1 million Iraqis had registered. By contrast, Arab media estimated 200,000–300,000 in Tehran on Jul 4. The consistent pattern of unverifiable and conflicting numbers has been a recurring feature of the coverage.
The Hashd al-Shaabi figure has not been corroborated by any independent source, including Iraqi state media or international news agencies. The Zioneer has not been able to verify the attendance count, and the conditions under which the estimate was produced remain unclear.
6 developments
- StrongIraqi Hashed al-Shaabi representatives attend Tehran funeral ceremonies
- DevelopingSenior Iranian judiciary figure says over 1 million Iraqis registered for Khamenei funeral
- DevelopingIranian state TV claims 20 million attended Khamenei funeral
- DevelopingChananel Aviv reports Shiite pro-Iran supporters hold Khamenei funeral in Nigeria
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