Mashhad, Iran. Iran on Thursday buried Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, following a week of funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained out of public view after being injured in the strike that killed his father.
Burial in Mashhad
Crowds marched through Mashhad on Thursday morning as the burial took place at the country’s holiest shrine in northeast Iran. Iranian flags, photographs of the late Khamenei and placards with revolutionary slogans were visible as the golden dome and minarets of the Shrine of Imam Reza shone in the morning sun.
Week of mourning and renewed conflict
The burial followed a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies in Iran and Iraq. These events coincided with a renewed burst of conflict with the United States after weeks of truce.
State mobilization and internal challenges
As Khamenei’s body was transported around Iran and Iraq over the past week, the Islamic Republic’s clerical leaders encouraged large crowds to attend. The effort was aimed at projecting the strength and ideological resolve of the state.
Despite surviving a months-long blitz by the United States and Israel, Iran faces significant internal challenges. The legacy of Khamenei’s 37-year rule remains bitterly disputed.
Mojtaba Khamenei remains absent
The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was proclaimed Supreme Leader by a clerical assembly a week after his father’s death, has remained unclear to Iranians. He has not appeared in public since the war began with the strike that killed Ali Khamenei on February 28.
While he has issued written statements, no image, video or voice recording of him has been released. Senior sources in Tehran said he suffered debilitating injuries in the same strike, including facial disfigurement and serious wounds to his limbs.
Security and recovery
Senior sources in Tehran said Mojtaba Khamenei is recovering but has not yet been well enough to make public appearances. State security services are also seeking to limit his exposure in case of further U.S. attacks.
Burial ceremony slogans
Placards reading “Kill Trump” appeared at the burial ceremony.
