Iran is laying to rest its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad as renewed fighting with the United States threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire. Khamenei was killed on February 28 in the opening US-Israeli strikes that launched the war, and after six days of funeral processions through Najaf, Karbala, Qom and Tehran, his body was brought to the Shrine of Imam Reza for burial. Millions gathered along the route, with state officials expecting up to 15 million people in Mashhad and waving red flags that symbolize both martyrdom and revenge while chanting slogans against the US and Israel. a72ac9df
The burial has coincided with a sharp escalation. Just as funeral rites were reaching their final day, Washington resumed airstrikes on Iran in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump warning of “much worse” if the attacks continued. Iran responded by targeting US military infrastructure in Gulf states and firing ballistic missiles at a US airbase in Jordan, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps accused US forces of striking roads and rail lines leading to Mashhad to disrupt the funeral. Iranian officials said the perimeter of the Bushehr nuclear plant was also hit, and train services to Mashhad were suspended after railway damage. a72aa7eec802
The timing has deepened tensions both abroad and at home. The conflict has already killed thousands and disrupted energy supplies, and with Khamenei’s son Mojtaba named as successor but yet to appear publicly, Iran’s leadership transition remains uncertain. As mourners filled Mashhad’s streets demanding revenge, Tehran warned it would deliver a “crushing response” to any further US intervention, while Washington signaled it was preparing for a potentially prolonged campaign to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. a72a12adeecfe66f.
