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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Funeral (Source X)
New Delhi: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad early Friday, after his killing in an airstrike after four months.
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for almost 37 years, was killed in US and Israeli airstrikes that marked the start of the Middle East conflict on February 28. After several days of public mourning, he was laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.
Khamenei is only the second Iranian ruler to be buried in Mashhad. The first was Nader Shah, who was laid to rest in the city after his assassination in 1747, following nearly 11 years in power.
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Funeral processions began last Saturday, with authorities shutting down streets, closing airspace and bringing daily life to a standstill in Tehran and other cities. Large crowds gathered to pay their respects to the leader, who ruled Iran with an iron grip for decades while maintaining a confrontational stance toward the West.
According to reports, Khamenei's eldest son, Mostafa, led the funeral prayers. However, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second eldest of the late Supreme Leader's four sons and his successor as Iran's Supreme Leader, was notably absent from the ceremony.
Although active fighting has subsided, relations between Tehran and Washington remain tense. Iranian leaders have continued to condemn the US role in the conflict, while American officials have defended the military operation, keeping diplomatic ties at a low point.
Attention is now turning to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei as he begins leading the country during a period of heightened regional uncertainty. His absence from the funeral has sparked speculation, though Iranian authorities have not issued an official explanation.
