Upon his arrival, Iran’s top diplomat met and held talks with Governor of Najaf Youssef Ganawi.

Araghchi’s arrival in Najaf marks the second leg of his visit to Iraq, following extensive diplomatic and security briefings with senior officials in Baghdad on Sunday.

The visit of the Iranian foreign minister to the province is specifically aimed at establishing a unified security and organizational protocol with local administrative authorities, shrine directorates, and Iraqi forces ahead of funeral of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Iraq. 

Making arrangements ahead of the upcoming state funeral processions for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has been cited as one of the main aims of his visit to the shrine cities in Iraq.

The official schedule released by regional authorities outlines that the body of the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei will be flown directly into Iraq on July 8, 2026. Following the historic religious processions in Najaf and Karbala, the body will be returned to Iran for final burial on July 9 at the Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine in Mashhad.

DID