Iran has laid to rest its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the holy Imam Reza Shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad, bringing an end to six days of nationwide and regional funeral ceremonies attended by millions of mourners.
According to Iranian state media, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in the courtyard of the Imam Reza Shrine following funeral prayers led by his eldest son, Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Khamenei. The burial took place amid unprecedented security arrangements, with massive crowds filling the streets of Mashhad to bid farewell to the leader who ruled Iran for nearly four decades.
The late Supreme Leader’s funeral procession drew mourners from across Iran and neighboring countries. Iranian media claimed that around 43 million people participated in funeral and mourning ceremonies held over six days in Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad, although the figure has not been independently verified.
Before reaching Mashhad, Khamenei’s body was taken to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, where farewell prayers were offered at the shrines of Imam Ali, Imam Hussain (AS), and Hazrat Abbas (AS). His remains were then flown to Mashhad under a military escort provided by the Iranian Air Force before the final burial at the country’s holiest Shiite shrine.
Iranian authorities have also announced that a major condolence gathering will be held today at the Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh in Qom after Maghrib and Isha prayers. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, is expected to attend the ceremony, although he has remained largely out of public view since assuming leadership following his father’s death.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed earlier this year during U.S.-Israeli strikes, an event that dramatically escalated tensions across the Middle East. His death ended a 37-year tenure as Iran’s Supreme Leader and ushered in a new phase of political uncertainty and heightened regional instability.