Former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest on Friday, marking the conclusion of a six-day funeral process. According to the state broadcaster IRIB, the body of the leader, who was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, was interred within the memorial hall of the Imam Reza shrine in his hometown of Mashhad.
The burial occurred as a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran faced renewed pressure from two days of escalating military exchanges. Iranian officials reported that recent US strikes resulted in 17 fatalities, with state media noting an attack on a railway line connecting Tehran and Mashhad. In response, Iran confirmed it resumed operations against US assets located in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. Furthermore, Jordanian military officials reported the interception of eight missiles launched from Iranian territory.
During the ceremony in Mashhad, prominent figures including parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and the leader’s eldest son, Mostafa Khamenei, were observed mourning at the site. Notably, Mojtaba Khamenei, the designated successor to the late leader, remained absent from the public event. Reports suggest he sustained injuries during the February 28 strikes and has only communicated via written statements since his appointment.
Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for nearly 37 years, saw his funeral processions disrupt daily life across Iran for almost a week, with authorities implementing widespread closures of airspace and streets. The ongoing instability has cast doubt on the future of diplomatic efforts, as US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the interim ceasefire agreement is effectively over. While Trump indicated that negotiations might proceed, he expressed skepticism, suggesting that participants were currently wasting their time regarding critical issues like the reopening of the strait and the status of Iran’s nuclear program.
The funeral processions began last Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran and other cities as throngs commemorated the man who led Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.
