A plane carrying the coffin of the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, arrived in Iraq, where memorial ceremonies in his honor will be held.

According to the Iranian state news agency IRNA, the plane, which arrived Tuesday at the airport in the city of Najaf, was also carrying the coffins of members of Ayatollah Khamenei's family who were killed alongside him.

The coffins will be taken to take part in mourning processions that will be held Wednesday in Najaf and the holy city of Karbala.

Millions of Iraqis are expected to attend the events. Ayatollah Khamenei was a prominent religious figure in the country and was regarded as a source of emulation for millions of Iraq's Shia Muslims.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi declared Wednesday a public holiday so that the authorities could ensure the organization of large-scale mourning events.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also arrived at Najaf airport to take part in the farewell ceremony and to hold talks with senior representatives of the Iraqi leadership.

Ayatollah Khamenei and four members of his family, according to a statement from the Iranian side, were killed on February 28 as a result of a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on his office and residence in Tehran.

The ceremonies in Iraq come after two similar mourning events in Iran — in the capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom.

Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral is scheduled for Thursday. His body will be laid to rest in the holy shrine complex of Imam Reza in Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad.