Iran buries former supreme leader Khamenei in Mashhad
What's the story
Iran has buried its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his hometown of Mashhad. The burial comes over four months after he was killed in US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28, marking the beginning of a Middle East conflict. His body was interred at the Imam Reza Shrine, one of Shia Islam's holiest sites.
Funeral details
Mojtaba absent from ceremony
The funeral processions for Khamenei began last Saturday, bringing daily life to a standstill in Tehran and other cities. Thousands of Iranians turned out to pay their last respects to the leader who ruled with an iron grip for decades. His eldest son Mostafa led the funeral prayers, but his successor Mojtaba was notably absent from the ceremony.
Conflict intensification
US-Iran tensions escalate following airstrikes
The burial comes amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran. The US had carried out two days of strikes after attacks on civilian tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which it blamed on Tehran. Iran retaliated by resuming attacks on US assets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Sirens also blared in Jordan as its military intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran.
Burial site
Second Iranian ruler to be buried in Mashhad
Khamenei is only the second Iranian ruler to be buried in Mashhad after Nader Shah, who was assassinated in 1747. The late leader's body had to be airlifted to the holy shrine as massive crowds packed in between the Danesh intersection and the Imam Reza Shrine. State media aired visuals of vast crowds mourning along the funeral route and surrounding his convoy with anti-Trump banners during the procession.