Iran buries Ayatollah Khamenei in Mashhad

Iran buried its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad. 

The funeral comes amid renewed tensions between Iran and the United States following the collapse of a recent ceasefire.

Thousands of mourners gathered in Mashhad, waving Iranian flags and portraits of Khamenei while chanting revolutionary slogans.

Authorities organised ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala before the final burial in Khamenei's hometown.

Khamenei's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not attend the burial and has remained out of public view since the strike that killed his father on February 28.

Iranian officials say he was seriously wounded in the same attack and is recovering under tight security. Since his appointment as supreme leader, Mojtaba has issued only written statements, with no public appearances or recorded messages released.

Khamenei led Iran for nearly 37 years, shaping the country's political, military and religious institutions while strengthening the influence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

His burial marks a major transition for the Islamic Republic as it faces economic pressures, regional instability and uncertainty over its future leadership under Mojtaba Khamenei.