Why Mashhad was chosen as Ali Khamenei's final resting place

More than four months after he was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is finally being buried on Thursday in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

His burial marks the end of a week-long funeral procession that travelled through major religious centres in Iran and Iraq, including Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala, before reaching Mashhad.

The unusually long delay between Khamenei's death and burial has raised questions about why his funeral was postponed, why Mashhad was chosen as his final resting place and how his body was preserved for months.

Why is Khamenei being buried in Mashhad?

Although many expected Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be buried in Tehran or the religious city of Qom, Iranian authorities chose Mashhad for several reasons.

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His hometown

Mashhad was Khamenei's birthplace. Born there in 1939, he spent his childhood and received his early religious education in the city. According to Iranian state media, Khamenei had personally expressed a wish to be buried in his hometown.

Home to Iran's holiest Shia shrine

Mashhad is home to the Imam Reza Shrine, the most sacred site in Iran for Shia Muslims. The shrine houses the tomb of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam in Shia Islam and the only Shia Imam buried within Iran.

Being laid to rest at the shrine carries immense religious significance and closely associates Khamenei's legacy with one of Shia Islam's holiest sites.

A burial place for Iran's top leaders

The Imam Reza Shrine has also become the final resting place for several prominent Iranian figures. Former President Ebrahim Raisi was buried there after he died in a helicopter crash in 2024. Khamenei's burial at the shrine reinforces its status as a symbolically important resting place for leaders of the Islamic Republic.

Why was the burial delayed for more than four months?

In Islam, burials are generally carried out as soon as possible, often within 24 hours. Khamenei's funeral delay was therefore highly unusual.

Iranian officials have said the postponement was due to the country's security situation following his assassination.

The strikes that killed Khamenei came during an intense military confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Officials argued that holding a large public funeral immediately after the attack would have posed serious security risks, with millions of mourners potentially exposed to further strikes.

At the same time, authorities were also dealing with domestic unrest, as supporters mourned Khamenei while anti-government groups celebrated his death, creating additional security challenges.

Only after a fragile ceasefire was reached in June did Iranian authorities move ahead with nationwide funeral ceremonies.

Where was Khamenei's body kept?

The lengthy delay also sparked speculation about where Khamenei's body had been kept.

According to Iranian state media, his remains were stored in secure, climate-controlled medical refrigeration facilities throughout the four-month period.

Unlike chemical embalming, which is generally discouraged under Islamic traditions, refrigeration allows bodies to be preserved without altering them.

Experts say Shia Islamic jurisprudence permits delayed burials and cold storage under exceptional circumstances such as war or threats to national security. This enabled Iranian authorities to preserve Khamenei's remains while remaining within religious guidelines.

Funeral procession across Iran and Iraq

Khamenei's funeral ceremonies have lasted seven days and passed through several cities before today's burial in Mashhad.

The route included:

With the burial in Mashhad, Khamenei's week-long funeral ceremonies will come to an end.