Ali Khamenei buried in Mashhad after days of mourning and ceremonies, his son Mojtaba absent from funeral

After several days of funeral ceremonies and public mourning, Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was laid to rest in his birthplace, Mashhad.

According to Iranian state media, the burial took place in the early hours of the morning, after his body had earlier been taken to several cities in Iran and Iraq, where tributes and funeral processions were held.

His son and widely discussed successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was not seen at the burial ceremony. Footage broadcast by state television IRIB also did not show him at the funeral. Before the ceremony began, the prayer over the former leader’s body was led by his eldest son, Mostafa Khamenei.

Thousands of citizens dressed in black attended the ceremony, carrying Iranian flags, portraits of Khamenei and banners with revolutionary slogans. Chants against the United States and Israel were heard from the crowd, along with calls for revenge following the death of the former supreme leader.

The funeral processions had begun a day earlier, while authorities took measures by closing roads, airspace and restricting activity in Tehran and other cities to ensure the ceremonies proceeded smoothly.

The burial in Mashhad also carries historical significance, as Khamenei is only the second leader of Iran to be buried in this city, after Nader Shah, who was laid to rest there in 1747.

Khamenei’s death has come at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East. Iranian authorities have presented the large turnout at the funeral ceremonies as evidence of national unity and support for the Islamic Republic.