Iran to bury Khamenei in hometown as US ramps up strikes

MASSIVE CROWDS 

The ceremony has so far drawn massive crowds of people across various cities, starting with Khamenei’s three days of lying in state in the capital Tehran.

The Islamic Republic hopes the ceremony will project strength and unity following the Middle East war, and six months after a crackdown on anti-government protests.

Khamenei, who had ruled Iran since 1989, was killed aged 86 along with several members of his family and top officials in an Israeli strike.

After five weeks of intense hostilities, a fragile ceasefire and an initial accord with the US sought to put the Middle East conflict on hold.

But the ceasefire looked increasingly threatened as US Central Command said it had carried out strikes to degrade the ability of Iranian forces “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz – a key bone of contention in US-Iran talks.

Calls for restraint abounded as US forces struck multiple sites on Iran’s coast in response to Iranian attacks on three ships in the waterway.

Tehran earlier said it had struck US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Following ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s remains were transported on Tuesday to the clerical city of Qom, then on Wednesday to neighbouring Iraq, before his burial on Thursday.

He will be buried with his infant granddaughter, son-in-law, daughter and Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife Zahra Haddad Adel, who were all killed in the Feb 28 strikes.