Iran Buries Ayatollah Ali Khamenei In Hometown Mashhad Amid US Strikes After Six Days Of Tributes

Iran buried Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday, bringing to a close a six-day state funeral held more than four months after the supreme leader was killed in a joint US-Israeli air strike on the opening day of the 2026 Iran war . The burial ceremony at the Imam Reza Shrine , one of Shia Islam's holiest sites, was scheduled at 2:30 pm local time (5:00 pm IST) .

A Mahan Air flight carrying Khamenei's coffin landed at Mashhad International Airport on Thursday after the final leg of the funeral procession in Iraq, with Iran's state news agency IRNA broadcasting footage of the aircraft taxiing after arrival. The coffin was transferred directly from Iraq ahead of the burial.

Crowds marched through Mashhad waving Iranian flags and portraits of Khamenei, chanting slogans calling for revenge against US President Donald Trump over his role in the assassination. The funeral procession, which began on July 4 , passed through Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala before reaching Mashhad, with Iranian authorities estimating 8 million to 10 million mourners attended the ceremonies across six days. More than 30 countries reportedly requested participation.

The Iraq leg drew massive crowds despite scorching temperatures. Millions gathered in Najaf , where mourners surged forward to touch the coffin as it passed through the Imam Ali Shrine , while Karbala witnessed an estimated four million or more participants. Iraqi authorities declared a public holiday and tightened security around the shrines before the coffin's arrival.

The funeral also became a platform for political messaging. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki described attendance as "a duty," while Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf , during a meeting with Hamas Political Bureau chief Muhammad Ismail Darwish , reiterated that Tehran does not have peace with the United States and would not recognize Israel, reaffirming support for what Iran calls the "resistance front."

Mojtaba Khamenei has remained absent again. Funeral organizers also maintained tight security and an information blackout amid concerns of a repeat of the deadly crowd crush during Qasem Soleimani's 2020 funeral.

Iranian officials said overnight US strikes that damaged the Tehran-Mashhad railway line would not delay the burial. Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani , head of the late leader's office, said Khamenei had specifically requested to be buried near the shrine of Imam Reza in his birthplace.