Khamenei Buried, New Chapter in US-Iran Conflict Begins
More than four months after the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a state funeral was held in private at the Imam Reza Shrine, a major holy site for Shia Muslims in Khamenei’s birthplace of Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran. The coffin containing Khamenei’s body was transported by plane under escort by Iranian fighter jets. The burial took place on Thursday evening (9/7), following six days of mourning ceremonies.
Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not appear to attend the ceremony alongside other state leadership representatives. Instead, Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the chief negotiator in talks with the US, attended the event, along with Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Edschei and Ali Khamenei’s eldest son, Mostafa Khamenei. Alongside Khamenei’s body, several family members also killed in the February attack were buried, including his daughter and 14-month-old granddaughter, as well as Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife.
During the funeral procession, many people waved Iranian flags and red flags, which are considered a symbol of revenge. “No compromise with the murderers,” mourners chanted. Mourning ceremonies in several cities across Iran and Iraq have repeatedly turned into mass demonstrations against the US and Israel in recent days.
After a period of calm following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran last month, the US launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Wednesday evening (8/7). In retaliation, Iranian armed forces struck US allied bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also threatened a new attack on Iran on Thursday.
According to Iranian officials, the latest US strikes on Iran this week killed 17 people and wounded 78 others. The attacks disrupted train services between Tehran and Mashhad. Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the targeting of infrastructure a clear war crime. Quoting Iranian officials, AFP reported that the US Army targeted dozens of sites, including a military base near the city of Bushehr in southern Iran. Bushehr is home to Iran’s only active nuclear power plant.
President Donald Trump stated the attacks were in retaliation for Iranian strikes on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Trump reportedly informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the US actions in the Gulf region by telephone, according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office on Thursday evening via the online platform X. A US representative confirmed the phone call but did not provide details.
The tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire in place between the two countries. However, the latest Iranian attack on Thursday appeared larger in scale, triggering sirens three times in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Iran also targeted Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan with ballistic missiles and drones.
Kuwait’s military said one person was wounded in the Iranian attack, and that three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile, and 10 drones were shot down. Bahrain stated it had intercepted incoming attacks without providing further details. Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said all incoming attacks from Iran were intercepted. There were no immediate reports of damage in Qatar.
US strikes hit more targets. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck 90 targets across Iran, releasing black-and-white footage that appeared to show strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers. The US said the strikes aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic in the strait has slightly increased since last month’s interim agreement, which included opening the waterway. Maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence said preliminary data showed at least 576 ships transited the strait in June, compared to 233 in May, while over 3,100 ships crossed in June 2025.
According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and CNN, citing anonymous sources, Israel warned the US government of an Iranian plot to assassinate President Donald Trump. The reports said leaders in Tehran recently devised the plan. While the US government frequently receives such warnings, the Israeli warning was new and referred to a concrete attack plan, CNN quoted a US official as saying. Another US official suspected the Israeli warning might be an attempt to influence Trump regarding the next steps in the US-Iran conflict, the US television network reported. Prime Minister Netanyahu has recently called for a much tougher policy towards Tehran, sparking a rift with Trump.
On his return flight from the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump did not use the new Air Force One. This fuelled speculation about security risks associated with the gift provided by Qatar. “I am number one on Iran’s assassination target list,” Trump said.
Negotiations to reach a final agreement are scheduled to begin after Khamenei’s funeral. The talks are now in doubt.