Ali Khamenei Buried in Private Ceremony: The Mysterious New Leader and Iran on the Brink of War

Photo: AP

The funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei took place in Mashhad in a strictly private format. Farewell ceremonies for the leader, who died in a US-Israeli airstrike on his compound, lasted for six days. Meanwhile, the situation in the Middle East has escalated again, with direct military strikes exchanged between the US and Iran. Zamin.uz has collected the most important details of this historic and alarming process.

Final destination: The Holy Shrine and a 20-million-strong mourning

Ali Khamenei was buried in the Mashhad area, within the Imam Reza Shrine, one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims. Family members who died during the airstrike were also laid to rest there. Notably, former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a 2024 helicopter crash, is also buried in this complex.

Mourning events were held in several cities, including Tehran, Qom, and the holy Shia cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq. According to official reports, only the farewell ceremony in Tehran saw up to 20 million people in attendance.

Why is the new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, not appearing in public?

Although the position of Supreme Leader passed to Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, he has not made a single public appearance since the airstrike on February 28. He did not appear in public even during the mourning days. International media are putting forward two main theories for his long absence:

• First theory: He may have been seriously injured during the airstrike that killed his father, but has retained the ability to perform his duties.

• Second theory: Due to the risk of a new assassination attempt by Israel, Iranian security services have severely restricted the new leader's public appearances to ensure his safety.

According to Iran's Fars agency, the new leader's first official appearance is expected on July 19 at a memorial ceremony in Qom. Mojtaba Khamenei is scheduled to deliver a speech in memory of his father there.

Middle East in flames: Trump halts negotiations

US President Donald Trump announced a one-week break in negotiations due to the mourning in Iran and acknowledged that the flow of people was larger than expected. However, just two days later, the situation reached a breaking point.

Chronicle of military clashes:

• Iran attacked several tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, justifying it by claiming the ships were operating without coordination with Tehran.

• In response, the US launched airstrikes on coastal facilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

• Iran, in turn, launched missile attacks on American military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.

During the NATO summit in Ankara, Donald Trump sharply stated that no ceasefire regime with Iran is in effect and that he has no intention of holding further negotiations with Tehran. Nevertheless, US administration officials say that despite the intense exchange of military strikes, secret diplomatic dialogues between the parties are still ongoing.