Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral in Mashhad; huge crowd gathers

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral in his birthplace Mashhad

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried on Thursday (July 9) in his hometown of Mashhad, in the northeastern city of his birth. He was buried at the Imam Reza shrine, the holiest religious site there. He was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike.

Khamenei's body was carried in a truck through the crowded streets of Mashhad to the shrine of Imam Reza on Thursday. The truck was flanked by clerics wearing white turbans. Hundreds of mourners dressed in black and carrying red placards bearing Iranian flags, pictures of Khamenei and revolutionary slogans, joined the procession.

Khamenei's burial ended a week of funerals, mourning processions and mourning ceremonies. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to make a public appearance.

A ceasefire in the more than four-month-long war ended last month, tensions between the United States and Iran have recently risen again.

Khamenei was killed in the first phase of the war in a joint US-Israeli attack on February 28. After 40 days of continuous attacks, the US and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Last month, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries to end the war. Direct and indirect talks are now underway between them with the aim of a permanent ceasefire. In the meantime, new counterattacks are also underway between the two countries. US President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire with Iran to be over.

Mojtaba has not yet come out in public.

A council of religious leaders declared Mojtaba Khamenei the new supreme leader in early March, a week after his father's death. But he has not appeared in public since.

No photos, videos, or audio recordings of him have been released since the war began. However, he has issued a written statement.

Mojtaba was also seriously injured in the attack that killed his father. His face was disfigured and he suffered serious injuries to various parts of his body.

Senior sources in Tehran said Mojtaba is slowly recovering, but is not yet in a condition to appear in public. State security agencies are also limiting his public appearances to ensure his safety amid fears of a new US attack.

Many people gathered in Mashhad as they waited for Khamenei's funeral procession to begin chanted slogans of revenge against US President Donald Trump.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was born on April 19, 1939, in Mashhad, Iran. Born into a religious family, Khamenei received Islamic education in Qom and Mashhad at a young age. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, he quickly rose to the top leadership of the country. He was President of Iran from 1981 to 1989.

After the death of the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, he became the Supreme Leader of Iran in 1989. He held that position for about 37 years until his death.