MASHHAD, Iran, July 10 — Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried in his hometown of Mashhad early Friday following several days of nationwide mourning and funeral ceremonies.
Khamenei, who led Iran for nearly 37 years, was killed during the opening phase of the Iran war on February 28 in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike, according to Iranian authorities. His burial marked the end of an extended state funeral that drew large crowds across several Iranian cities.
The funeral procession, which began last weekend, passed through Tehran and other major cities before reaching Mashhad, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites. Iranian authorities imposed extensive security measures, including restrictions on roads, airspace and public activities, throughout the mourning period.
Thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects to the leader, whose decades-long rule was defined by Iran’s confrontation with the United States and its Western allies, as well as his influence over the country’s political and religious institutions.
Khamenei is only the second ruler in Iranian history to be buried in Mashhad. The first was Nader Shah, the 18th-century Persian ruler who was assassinated in 1747 after an 11-year reign.
The burial concludes one of the most significant state mourning events in Iran’s modern history, while the country’s leadership continues to navigate the political and security challenges that have followed Khamenei’s death.
