Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking at a joint press conference in Baghdad alongside his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein, said Iran is committed to further expanding ties with the new Iraqi government.

He said that during his visit, he had already conveyed congratulatory messages from Iranian leadership to Iraq’s political authorities, including Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Araghchi stated that one of the key objectives of his visit was to finalize arrangements for the funeral and commemorative ceremonies related to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iraq.

He added that, with the cooperation of the Iraqi government and the wishes of millions of Iraqi citizens, memorial ceremonies are planned in Baghdad, Kadhimiyah, Karbala, and Najaf.

He also thanked the Iraqi prime minister for forming a special committee to supervise arrangements for these events, saying that Iranian and Iraqi officials will hold meetings under this joint framework to ensure the ceremonies are conducted in a dignified and organized manner.

According to the schedule issued by Iranian authorities, the funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are expected to begin on July 4 in Tehran, where farewell events will continue for two days and his body will be placed for public viewing.

The schedule states that a formal funeral ceremony will be held in Tehran on July 6. A deputy mayor of Tehran reportedly estimated that up to 20 million people could attend events in the capital, prompting extensive logistical and transportation preparations.

On July 7, the body is expected to be moved to the holy city of Qom for further mourning and prayer ceremonies.

According to Iranian and Iraqi officials, on July 8 the body will be taken to Iraq, where memorial processions and ceremonies are planned in Baghdad, Kadhimiyah, Karbala, and Najaf.

Finally, on July 9, the main funeral ceremony is scheduled to take place in Mashhad, after which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will reportedly be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza.

Iranian officials say that up to 20 million people are expected to participate in mourning ceremonies across various cities, prompting heightened security and administrative preparations.