The coffin of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried by mourners to the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)
Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in his hometown of Mashhad early Friday, bringing to a close nearly a week of funeral ceremonies.Khamenei, who ruled Iran for almost 37 years, was killed in US and Israeli airstrikes that marked the start of the Middle East conflict on February 28. After several days of public mourning, he was laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.Khamenei is only the second Iranian ruler to be buried in Mashhad. The first was Nader Shah, who was laid to rest in the city after his assassination in 1747, following nearly 11 years in power.Funeral processions began last Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, closing airspace and bringing daily life to a standstill in Tehran and other cities. Large crowds gathered to pay their respects to the leader, who ruled Iran with an iron grip for decades while maintaining a confrontational stance toward the West.According to Iran International, Khamenei’s eldest son, Mostafa, led the funeral prayers. However, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second eldest of the late Supreme Leader’s four sons and his successor as Iran’s Supreme Leader, was notably absent from the ceremony. The other three sons attended the funeral.Khamenei’s body had to be transported by air to the holy shrine as massive crowds packed between the Danesh intersection and the Imam Reza Shrine. State media aired visuals showing vast crowds of mourners lining the funeral route in Mashhad and surrounding the convoy carrying the former Supreme Leader’s body to bid their final farewells.The state broadcaster also showed the crowd displaying anti-Trump banners during the procession.The burial came amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran after Washington carried out two consecutive days of strikes in response to attacks on civilian tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that it blamed on Tehran. Iran subsequently retaliated, further escalating tensions.In June, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding to end their conflict last month. The agreement established a 60-day ceasefire and roadmap for ongoing negotiations, was initially drafted on June 14 and officially took effect on June 17.(With agency inputs)
