Finnish K-Group branded truck appears at Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei’s funeral procession
A refrigerated truck bearing the logo of Finland’s K Group was spotted in footage from the funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking confusion and prompting an investigation by the Finnish retail giant.
The video, published by Reuters, shows a large crowd surrounding the truck in Karbala, Iraq, where Khamenei’s coffin was carried as part of the multi-day funeral ceremonies. The vehicle, identifiable by its orange colouring and the letter "K," closely resembles those used by K Group, a major Finnish retail cooperative. In the footage, the coffin is lifted from the truck’s frosted rear compartment and begins to sway as it is carried above the crowd.
Kesko, the parent company of K Group, confirmed to Yle that it is investigating the matter after the images circulated widely on social media. Anna Pirinen, Kesko’s regional communications officer, told Iltalehti that the company became aware of the truck’s appearance through the viral footage. "The matter came to our attention through images," Pirinen stated in an email response.
Kesko does not own its own fleet of vehicles but instead relies on transport partners to carry out deliveries. The company suggested that the truck may have been part of a partner’s fleet before being sold, with the K-Group stickers inadvertently left in place. "This may be a situation where one of the transport partners failed to remove stickers referencing us before selling the fleet onward," Pirinen explained. Kesko added that it plans to remind its operators to ensure all branding is removed before vehicles are resold.
Khamenei, who died on the first day of strikes by the United States and Israel in Iran, was laid to rest in a series of ceremonies held in both Iran and Iraq. The funeral proceedings concluded in Iran on Thursday. The appearance of the Finnish-branded truck in the procession has drawn particular attention in Finland, where K Group is a well-known retail chain.
Ilta-Sanomat first reported the news, while Yle and Iltalehti later confirmed Kesko’s ongoing investigation into the incident.
