The body of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived in Najaf, Iraq, on a Mahan Air flight, according to reports. The plane carried Iran's president and Khamenei's family. The president disembarked under an unprecedented security formation described as cube-shaped, designed to create a hermetic protective envelope.
The body of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived in Najaf, Iraq, on Tuesday evening, with The Zioneer now reporting that the remains traveled on a Mahan Air flight accompanied by Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Khamenei family. The president descended from the aircraft under an unprecedented security configuration—a cube-shaped formation designed to create a hermetic protective envelope. The arrival was confirmed by multiple sources after earlier conflicting reports throughout the evening.
The thread of reports unfolded rapidly at 18:59 Jerusalem on Tuesday, when The Zioneer published seven updates in quick succession: initial unverified reports said the body was en route from Qom (version 1), then that it had arrived at Najaf Airport (version 2), then that it was leaving Iran (version 3), then that it was still in Qom (version 4), then that it had arrived in Najaf but the report was unconfirmed (version 5), then that the coffin had landed and President Pezeshkian and IRGC Quds Force commander Ismail Qaani were in Najaf (version 6), and finally that the funeral ceremony had begun in Iraq (version 7). The corroboration evolved from a single Iranian source to multiple newsrooms, with the latest details providing the most authoritative account to date.
The funeral itinerary for Khamenei has been extensive, as The Zioneer reported previously. The body was exhumed from a temporary grave in Qom on June 30 (Jun 30, 18:56 Jerusalem), ahead of ceremonies in Tehran on July 3 (Jul 3, 09:34 Jerusalem), and the international leg in Iraq was announced on June 22 by Iranian state television (Jun 22, 19:44 Jerusalem). The presence of the Iranian president and the Quds Force commander underscores the significance of the Najaf leg.
The security measures for the president's arrival reflect the tense regional environment, but the report did not specify the nature of any threats. The funeral proceedings continue as scheduled, with final burial planned in Mashhad.
7 developments
- DevelopingIranian regime supporters in Berlin mourn Khamenei
- DevelopingHamas delegation attends Khamenei's funeral in Tehran
- DevelopingIranian state TV: part of Khamenei's funeral to be held in Iraq's Shiite holy cities
- DevelopingRefueling aircraft activity reported in southern Iraq during Khamenei's funeral
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