Iran is preparing to bury its slain supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in the holy city of Mashhad, as fresh United States (US) airstrikes against Iranian targets fuels fears of a renewed escalation in the Middle East.
Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in the opening wave of US-Israeli strikes, is due to be laid to rest at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran’s holiest religious site. The burial follows several days of funeral processions that drew millions of mourners across Iran and neighbouring Iraq, underscoring the symbolic importance of the ceremony for the Islamic republic.
But the funeral comes at a time of heightened regional tensions. The US launched new strikes overnight, saying they were aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after attacks on commercial vessels.
Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported that around 15 million people are expected to attend the funeral in Mashhad. The ceremony, initially scheduled for the morning, was delayed until the afternoon after funeral events in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala overran.
Khamenei, who led Iran for nearly four decades after assuming power in 1989, will be buried alongside several members of his family who were also killed in the February strike, including his daughter, son-in-law, infant granddaughter and the wife of his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei.
The funeral procession has passed through Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala before reaching Mashhad, reflecting the religious and political significance of Khamenei’s legacy.
