NAJAF, Iraq: Massive crowds filled Iraq's holy cities and their shrines on Wednesday (Jul 8) to mourn Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei during a funeral procession ahead of his burial back home.

At the gilded Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, mourners carried the coffin as it swayed from side to side, and many jostled and pressed forward in a desperate attempt to touch it.

Karim Hassan, who attended the procession in Najaf, described Khamenei's death as "a calamity, a tragedy", adding that the funeral ceremonies "are a fitting tribute" to "a leader who cannot even be described".

In Karbala, mourners waved Iranian flags and held portraits of Khamenei, as they waited for the coffin to reach the main procession route. 

Iran began on Saturday six days of funeral ceremonies, which included a series of locations that reflect the religious, political and ideological pillars o...