Iran on Friday buried former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in an airstrike, as renewed exchanges between Tehran an United States deepened fears of another full-scale conflict.
Khamenei’s coffin, draped in the Iranian flag, was taken to the Imam Reza shrine in his hometown of Mashhad, where thousands of mourners gathered for his final burial.
State broadcaster IRIB confirmed that the former leader was laid to rest in the memorial hall of the revered shrine.
Despite widespread attention on the ceremony, there was no public appearance by his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since taking over leadership following the February 28 strike that killed his father and several close family members.
Senior Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and Khamenei’s eldest son, Mostafa, attended the burial.
The funeral took place against the backdrop of renewed military exchanges between Iran and the United States.
Iranian authorities said recent US strikes killed at least 17 people, while state media reported that one attack hit a railway line linking Tehran and Mashhad, forcing services to be suspended and passengers transferred to buses.
Tehran also claimed to have resumed attacks on US military assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Air raid sirens sounded in neighbouring Jordan, where the military said it intercepted eight missiles launched from Iran.
Iran’s military said it targeted a Patriot missile defence system in Kuwait, an early warning facility in Qatar and fuel storage sites in Bahrain using drones.
However, a US defence official said the missiles and drones were intercepted or caused no significant damage, adding that no American personnel were injured.
Meanwhile, crowds gathered in Mashhad calling for retaliation against the United States, with many carrying banners demanding revenge for Khamenei’s killing.
The burial also came as reports emerged that Israel had shared intelligence with the United States about what it described as a fresh Iranian plot to assassinate President Donald Trump.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint in the conflict. Iran has insisted on controlling the strategic waterway, while recent attacks on commercial vessels prompted large-scale US strikes on Iranian positions earlier this week.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel was prepared to launch a “third” military operation against Iran if necessary, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was preparing for every possible scenario following discussions with President Trump.
