Tehran: Iran gears up to lay to rest its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Mashhad, as shockwaves from his assassination continue to destabilize the Middle East.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, the 86-year-old cleric — who ruled for 36 years — will be laid to rest in his birthplace, site of the revered Imam Reza shrine where his father is also buried. The shrine, a cornerstone of Shia Islam, attracts millions of pilgrims yearly and underscores Mashhad’s status as Iran’s second-largest city and key religious hub.
Khamenei’s death, announced by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social, came during intense joint US-Israeli strikes over the weekend. The Iranian regime later confirmed the killing of its longest-serving leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Prior to burial, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a “large farewell ceremony” in Tehran via Telegram, though no specific date for the Mashhad burial has been set.
As Iran’s supreme authority, Khamenei shaped the nation’s trajectory, wielding ultimate power over key state matters including defence, economy, education and foreign policy. He consolidated control over the political system while projecting Tehran’s influence through proxies across the Middle East, from Yemen to Lebanon.
His demise has intensified a volatile conflict in the Middle East. Over 500 lives have been lost in the crossfire so far with Iran launching waves of missile and drone assaults on Arab states in retaliation for the US-led offensive.
Khamenei’s era defined Iran’s defiance of the West, blending theocratic rule with regional ambitions.
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