The procession began from al-Kufa Bridge, with crowds moving toward the shrine of Imam Ali, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.
Iraqi officials and volunteers, experienced in organising mass pilgrimages, prepared for the ceremonies that will also take place in Karbala. Video footage showed vast crowds participating in the procession.
The funeral rites moved to Iraq after several days of commemoration in Iran, where millions of mourners took part in ceremonies in Tehran and Qom. The late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was assassinated in the February 28 U.S.-Israeli attack alongside family members and senior officials. Iraqi officials had been coordinating with Tehran on the funeral arrangements, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visiting Baghdad last month for that purpose.
MNA