The Iraqi government has declared three days of national mourning after the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said on Sunday March 1, 2026. The announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions following military strikes by the United States and Israel that Iranian and international media report resulted in the leader’s death.

In a statement, the Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi expressed “deep sorrow” and extended condolences to the people of Iran and the wider Muslim world over Khamenei’s death which he described as occurring in “a blatant act of aggression.” The spokesman said the three-day mourning period reflects Iraq’s close cultural, religious and political ties with Iran.

The declaration of mourning was supported by leading Shiite political and religious figures, including cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and members of the Coordination Framework, a major political alliance in Iraq. They issued statements offering sympathy and paying tribute to Khamenei’s leadership, saying his influence “will remain a guiding light” for future generations.

The Iraqi government also used the occasion to call for an immediate cessation of escalating military actions in the Middle East, warning that continued conflict could destabilise the region further. Iraq has long been at the centre of geopolitical competition between Tehran and Western powers and maintains deep historical and religious connections with Iran.

Iraqi security sources also reported sporadic protests in Baghdad where some demonstrators expressed grief and frustration over the circumstances of Khamenei’s killing as well as broader concerns about foreign military involvement in the region.

The three-day mourning period is aimed at granting official recognition to the period of grief while allowing Iraq’s leaders to manage diplomatic relations at a time of widespread regional uncertainty.