Ali Khamenei's coffin arrived in Najaf under a public holiday, with the international airport closed and heavy security deployed as thousands gathered for processions toward Karbala and Mashad.Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared at rites and is believed to be hiding after being possibly wounded, raising succession and security questions even as Iranian officials and Iraqi leaders pressed for careful diplomacy.The ceremonies come while
United States strikes hit more than eighty targets in Iran after attacks on commercial ships in the
Strait of Hormuz and Iran retaliated against
United States bases in
Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting diplomatic activity and an Iraqi offer to host reconciliation talks.