Body of slain Iranian supreme leader reaches Iraq's Karbala

The body of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived Wednesday in the Iraqi city of Karbala.

Iraqi media reported that large crowds gathered in Karbala after Khamenei's coffin arrived from the city of Najaf, where funeral ceremonies were held Tuesday.

The Iraqi government declared Wednesday a public holiday to facilitate the funeral procession, which included ceremonies at the shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas in Karbala.

The procession is scheduled to conclude Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei's hometown in northeastern Iran, where he will be buried.

Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28, triggering weeks of retaliatory attacks by Tehran targeting Israel and Gulf countries hosting US assets.