Iran on Friday buried its former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in an airstrike, as renewed exchanges between Iran and the United States heightened fears of a wider regional conflict.
Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin was carried into the shrine of Imam Reza Shrine in his hometown of Mashhad, where thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects.
Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, confirmed that the former leader was buried in the memorial hall of the shrine after six days of funeral ceremonies.
There was no public appearance by his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, during the burial. Mojtaba has remained out of public view since assuming leadership and has communicated only through written statements. Reports indicate he was wounded during the February 28 airstrike that killed his father.
Senior Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and Khamenei’s eldest son, Mostafa Khamenei, attended the ceremony, with state television showing several officials in tears beside the coffin.
The burial coincided with a second consecutive day of military exchanges between Iran and the United States. Iranian officials said US strikes killed at least 17 people, while state media reported that one of the attacks struck a section of the Tehran-Mashhad railway, disrupting rail services and forcing passengers to continue their journeys by bus.
Iran said it had resumed attacks on US military assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Jordanian authorities also reported intercepting eight missiles launched from Iran after air raid sirens sounded across parts of the country.
A US defence official, however, said dozens of Iranian missiles and drones launched against American positions were intercepted or caused no significant damage, adding that no US personnel were injured.
Crowds dressed in black lined the streets of Mashhad during the funeral, with some chanting anti-US slogans and calling for retaliation against US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources, that Israeli intelligence had informed the United States of an alleged new Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.
Iranian state media also reported that the United States struck the perimeter of the country’s only civilian nuclear power plant in Bushehr. However, a US defence official denied that American forces were conducting strikes in Iran at the time.
Iran’s military said it had targeted a Patriot missile defence system in Kuwait, an early warning installation in Qatar and fuel storage facilities in Bahrain using drones as part of its campaign against US bases in the Gulf.
Security around Khamenei’s funeral was visibly heightened, with footage released by his official website showing at least one fighter jet escorting the aircraft carrying his coffin to Mashhad.
The latest escalation comes amid growing tensions following Israel’s June 2025 war with Iran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel was prepared to launch a “third” military campaign against Iran if necessary, pledging even greater force.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was preparing for every possible scenario after speaking with US President Donald Trump on Thursday regarding developments in the Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint in the crisis. Iran has insisted on maintaining control over the strategic waterway, while recent attacks on commercial vessels prompted extensive US strikes against Iranian targets earlier this week.
According to maritime tracking firm Kpler, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined sharply since Wednesday, particularly along the UN-backed Omani shipping route, following attacks on vessels operating in the area.
