Massive crowds lined the streets of Mashhad on Thursday as the late Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was laid to rest. The burial took place at the Imam Reza shrine, the holiest Shia Muslim site in Iran, marking the conclusion of six days of public mourning ceremonies held across five cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq.
Earlier on Thursday, a plane carrying the coffins of Khamenei, his granddaughter, son-in-law, daughter, and the wife of his son Mojtaba arrived in Mashhad. The arrival followed extensive processions in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. Throughout the afternoon, thousands of mourners dressed in black walked along a main boulevard in central Mashhad. Participants waved Iranian flags and red banners symbolizing vengeance, while some displayed photos of the late leader and placards calling for the death of US President Donald Trump. Banners hanging over the route featured official slogans such as “We must rise.”
Hoda, a 35-year-old housewife, expressed the depth of the public grief, stating, “The loss of the leader is heavier than losing our parents. Only the death of Trump and Netanyahu will soothe our pain.” As night fell, a lorry transported the coffin slowly through the crowds toward the Imam Reza complex, a 9th-century site renowned for its golden dome and minarets.
Khamenei and several family members were killed on February 28 during an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran, which occurred on the first day of the war between Iran, the US, and Israel. His son, Mojtaba, has been named his successor, though he has not been seen in public since reportedly sustaining serious wounds in the same attack; he did not attend the funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, or Mashhad. Born in Mashhad, Khamenei was appointed supreme leader in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Over his 37-year tenure, he maintained strict control over Iranian politics and the armed forces while suppressing domestic dissent.
The funeral ceremonies were intended by Iranian leadership to project national unity following the war and mass protests in January, both of which resulted in thousands of deaths. However, the mourning process has been overshadowed by ongoing hostilities. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards accused the US of bombing two railway bridges between Tehran and Mashhad overnight to disrupt the funeral. Meanwhile, President Trump warned that US strikes could escalate after military operations aimed at degrading Iranian capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz. In retaliation, the Revolutionary Guards claimed to have attacked US military facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.
While Qatar had previously reported progress in indirect negotiations, President Trump indicated on Wednesday that he believes the memorandum of understanding is now over.
The 56-year-old did not participate in the funeral ceremonies in Tehran and Qom, and there was no indication that he attended the burial.
Imam Reza was the eighth Shia imam and the only one of the 12 believed to have been buried in Iran. His mausoleum, which dates to the 9th Century and has a towering golden dome and minarets, is visited by millions of pilgrims each year.
