Basra governor declared Wednesday and Thursday holidays for participation in Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral

Governors of several Iraqi provinces, including Basra, Maysan, and Al-Wasit, officially announced on Saturday that Wednesday and Thursday of the following week will be public holidays in their administrative areas. This decision was made to enable people to participate in the funeral procession of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Popular Mobilization Organization (al-Hashd al-Shaabi) has also released a call urging Iraqi citizens to attend these ceremonies.

• The governor of Basra officially declared Wednesday and Thursday as public holidays in the province on Saturday.
• The governors of Maysan and Al-Wasit announced on the same day that Wednesday and Thursday of the following week will be holidays in their provinces.
• The stated reason for the holidays in all three provinces is the holding of the funeral procession for Ayatollah Khamenei.
• According to provincial officials, the purpose of the holiday is to enable public participation in these ceremonies.
• Al-Hashd al-Shaabi released a visual statement with an emphasis on a public call for Iraqi citizens to attend the funeral procession.
• According to reports, the holiday in all three provinces covers two consecutive days — Wednesday and Thursday.
• These decisions were made at the provincial level, and available news reports contain no mention of a nationwide holiday announced by the Iraqi central government.
• The governors' announcement was issued on one day — Saturday — indicating relative coordination among different provinces.. Coverage difference: State-affiliated Iranian media outlets, including IRIB News and Mehr, have emphasized attributive phrases such as "the martyred leader of the revolution" and "the martyr of the nation" to Khamenei and highlighted al-Hashd al-Shaabi's activities, whereas more reformist or independent domestic media outlets, such as Etemad, Shargh, and Akhbar-e Fori, have used only the title "His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei" and presented the report in a more journalistic manner devoid of value-laden language. Additionally, ISNA provided the most concise coverage, making no mention of Maysan and Al-Wasit provinces, while other sources covered the holidays in these provinces as well.