Iranian foreign minister arrives in Baghdad for Khamenei funeral

Funeral arrangements for slain leader

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Baghdad on Sunday for official talks with senior Iraqi officials, stating that arrangements for the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at holy shrines in Iraq are among the key objectives of his visit. Writing on the social media platform Telegram, Araghchi said he would exchange views with Iraqi authorities on bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments.

"Making the necessary arrangements with the responsible Iraqi authorities to hold the funeral ceremony for the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ali Khamenei) at the holy shrines is among the topics of this trip," he added. Araghchi was referring to the Iranian leader who was killed on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched military action against the Islamic Republic.

Framework deal and ongoing hostilities

The visit comes as a framework deal aimed at halting the war between Washington and Tehran entered its implementation phase, followed by a 60-day period of negotiations toward a more comprehensive agreement. Intermittent hostilities have persisted since the accord was reached, including US attacks on southern Iran this weekend and subsequent retaliatory Iranian strikes on American positions in Gulf states.

The war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched military action against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and prompting retaliatory measures. The conflict has killed more than 3,300 people in Iran, with thousands more displaced.