Iran Holds Funeral for Former Supreme Leader in Mashhad

Tens of thousands watched as the flag-covered coffin of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei arrived at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad on Thursday. The burial took place more than four months after his death.

US forces struck railway bridges in northeast Iran, disrupting train services between Tehran and Mashhad. Tehran reported new American attacks and Iranian strikes on US allies during the same period. The procession in Mashhad was delayed about eight hours because of crowds gathered in Najaf and Karbala. Two days of US and Iranian attacks accompanied the burial.

No public appearance by Mojtaba Khamenei was observed at the funeral. Officials have not announced a date for naming a permanent successor. >"The flag-covered coffin was carried into the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad." — Iranian state media, July 9, 2026