Iran buried its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday, July 9, in the northeastern city of Mashhad — his birthplace and home to the country’s holiest Shia shrine. His body arrived by air this morning after a six-day procession through major Shia holy sites across Iran and neighboring Iraq, followed by mourning ceremonies. Notably absent from the funeral was his son and designated successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.
A National Mourning Amid War and Disruption
Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for nearly 37 years, died on February 28 at age 86 during a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign — the opening day of the war against Iran. His burial takes place amid renewed hostilities, despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement: U.S. forces struck Iranian targets overnight Wednesday–Thursday in an effort to curb Tehran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran launched retaliatory strikes against facilities in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.
The attack also damaged Iran’s main railway line between Tehran and Mashhad — a roughly 800-kilometer route — according to the Islamic Republic’s Railways Organization, cited by state television. Authorities have arranged alternative road transport for stranded passengers.
Final Resting Place at Imam Reza Shrine
According to the official IRNA news agency, Khamenei will be interred at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad — the most sacred site in Iran for Shia Muslims. Imam Reza is the only one of the Twelve Imams buried in the country, making the shrine a central spiritual destination for millions.
Massive Turnout Expected
Mashhad’s governor, Hassan Hosseini, told state TV that up to 15 million people — five times the city’s population — are expected to attend the burial. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. Greece time), delayed several hours due to logistical setbacks in transporting the body from Iraq.
Throughout the night and into the morning, mourners gathered patiently along Mashhad’s streets. Some carried giant portraits of Khamenei; others formed groups chanting religious hymns. On one large banner draped across a building read the slogan: “We will kill Trump,” alongside another offering a $100 million bounty for his death.
In Iraq, Khamenei’s casket — draped in the Iranian flag and crowned with his signature black turban — drew massive crowds during the funeral procession, underscoring his regional symbolic weight among Shia communities.