Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei buried but successor still out of sight

DUBAI — Iran buried Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad early Friday, according to state media, after massive crowds attended funeral ceremonies across the country. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained out of public view during the burial.

The burial marked the end of a week of funeral processions, rallies, and mourning ceremonies held in Iran and Iraq. The events came as tensions with the United States resurfaced following weeks of a truce in the four-month conflict.

Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes of the war launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28. Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire last month.

His coffin was carried through the streets of Mashhad toward the Shrine of Imam Reza, accompanied by clerics and thousands of mourners waving Iranian flags, portraits of Khamenei, and revolutionary banners.

Iran's clerical leadership encouraged large public attendance at the funeral events, presenting them as a demonstration of national unity and support for the Islamic Republic.

Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named supreme leader by Iran's clerical assembly in early March, has not appeared in public since the war began. Iranian officials have said he suffered serious injuries in the strike that killed his father and is still recovering. Authorities have also sought to limit his public exposure because of security concerns.

During the funeral in Mashhad, mourners chanted anti-American slogans, including calls for revenge against U.S. President Donald Trump. Some attendees displayed placards reading "Kill Trump."

As evening fell, thousands gathered in the shrine's courtyard while chants of "Death to America" echoed through the complex. A helicopter transported Khamenei's coffin over the crowd for the final stretch to the burial site inside the shrine.

Khamenei's eldest son, Mostafa, led the funeral prayer before mourners carried the flag-draped coffin into the shrine. Video footage showed many attendees holding candles, reaching toward the coffin, and weeping.

Iran's official IRNA news agency reported that Khamenei and four family members killed in the same attack were buried early Friday.

The Shrine of Imam Reza, located in Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad, is one of Shiite Islam's holiest pilgrimage sites. Before the burial, Khamenei's remains were taken through Tehran, the religious city of Qom, and the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala.

The funeral concludes Khamenei's 37-year leadership of Iran, a period marked by the consolidation of political, military, and economic power under the supreme leader's office. His rule remains deeply divisive, with supporters praising his leadership while critics point to years of political repression and economic hardship.

Analysts say Iran emerged from the recent conflict with its strategic position largely intact, including maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz. However, the country also sustained significant damage that has added to its economic challenges.

Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position of supreme leader with the backing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is widely regarded as the country's most influential political and military institution. -Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Cynthia Osterman/Reuters