SRINAGAR: Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest late on Thursday at the Imam Reza Holy Shrine in Mashhad following week-long funeral processions across Iran and Iraq, Iranian state media reported.
According to Iranian state media, the burial took place in the Dar Al-Zikr prayer hall after Khamenei’s coffin was carried around the tomb of Imam Reza. Funeral prayers were held at the Payambar-e Azam Courtyard and were led by Khamenei’s eldest son, Mostafa Khamenei.
The funeral ceremonies followed processions in Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala and Mashhad. Iranian state media reported that Khamenei’s remains, along with those of four family members killed alongside him, were carried through the Iranian and Iraqi cities before the final burial.
According to Iranian media outlets, tribute ceremonies were attended by officials from more than 45 countries and scholars from more than 90 nations. The outlets said the funeral processions drew more than 43 million mourners, including around 10 million in Najaf and Karbala, a figure attributed to Iraqi authorities through the Prime Minister’s Office.
Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was killed on February 28, 2026 in US and Israeli strikes, according to Iranian authorities. His burial took place amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran, following US strikes on Iran and Iranian attacks that Tehran said targeted US military sites in Gulf states.
