Iranian state media report that the coffin carrying the body of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has arrived in Mashhad, the final stage of the funeral procession before burial. The plane carrying the body had been reported earlier today.
Iranian state media have now confirmed that the coffin of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has landed in Mashhad, the final stage of the multi-city funeral procession before burial. The confirmation follows earlier reports: at 00:36 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the plane carrying the body had arrived in Mashhad, based on Iranian media, and at 08:35 Jerusalem, The Zioneer again reported the arrival. The burial is expected later today, though the exact time remains unconfirmed.
The Zioneer's reporting on the funeral evolved through the early hours of Thursday. At 00:36 Jerusalem, the desk published a series of updates: the plane departed Najaf, Iraq (version 5); it arrived in Mashhad (version 6); and signs in the city called for revenge and the assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump (version 7). Earlier, at 00:36 Jerusalem, the burial was delayed due to strikes on bridges and access roads near Mashhad (version 4), and earlier due to extended ceremonies in Iraq (version 3). The initial report at 00:36 Jerusalem (version 1) described thousands of mourners in Karbala, based on a single report from Iraq. The source quality has since broadened to multiple Iranian media outlets and now state media confirmation.
As The Zioneer reported on June 30, Khamenei's body was exhumed from a temporary grave in Qom, ahead of the official funeral ceremonies. Preparations for the burial in Mashhad have been in progress for weeks, with the funeral procession spanning multiple cities in Iran and Iraq, as The Zioneer has covered. The background context includes reports that the burial site was initially considered at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini before being set for Mashhad (The Zioneer, June 22).
What remains open: The actual burial time in Mashhad has not been officially announced. The Zioneer has previously noted conflicting reports on the schedule throughout the week. The impact of the reported strikes on access routes and the size of the crowd on the final burial timing is still unclear.
9 developments
Source and signal
- Internal intake