'People seek revenge': Crowds mass in Iran's Mashhad for Khamenei's burial

AFP -- Braving sweltering heat and calling for revenge, Iranians massed on Thursday for the burial of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad.

An Israeli strike assassinated Khamenei in late February on the first day of the Middle East war.

Thousands of people filled the streets of the eastern city of Mashhad, home to one of the holiest sites of Shia Islam. Footage posted by IRNA showed the procession en route to the Shrine of Imam Reza, where the assassinated leader will be buried.

With new hostilities breaking out with the United States even after an accord last month to end the war, at least one fighter jet escorted the plane carrying the late Iranian leader’s coffin to Mashhad.

The burial will be the final act in a marathon six days of funeral ceremonies, which have allowed people to pay tribute in Tehran, the clerical hub of Qom and also in Iraq.

The body of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution have now been carried onto the funeral route toward the sacred shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) in Mashhad, following hours of patient waiting by the massive crowds. pic.twitter.com/5AiuSCxQeZ

— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) July 9, 2026

Men wore black shirts while women were clad in black chadors, many waving the red flags that symbolise vengeance, AFP correspondents said.

“People here all seek revenge,” said Mohammad Afsharian, 41, a shop owner.

“I don’t know what’s the story with diplomacy and what’s the policy to continue diplomacy but all the people are carrying red flags in a sign of seeking revenge,” he said.

‘There will be blood’

Observers have been watching closely for any signs of Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to make any public appearances and was said to have been injured in the same strike that killed his father.

Mashhad governor Hassan Hosseini was quoted on state television as saying he “expects 15 million people” to attend Khamenei’s funeral.

Near the mausoleum, many children were present. Many have come with their families, wearing caps in the colours of the Islamic Republic.

With temperatures hitting 35°C, water sprinklers were used to keep the faithful cool. At the foot of a hotel called Miami, a giant banner showed a caricature of US President Donald Trump with a bounty on his head.

Another sign showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a message in English: “There will be blood.”

The funeral was originally set to begin on Thursday at 6am (7:30am PKT), but local media later cited organisers as saying it would begin at 2pm (3:30pm PKT) because ceremonies in Iraq had run late.

Meanwhile, the eruption of fighting forced the closure of the rail link between Tehran and Mashhad, a city located some 800 kilometres east of the capital, although road transport was being organised for stranded passengers, the state rail company said.