Enormous crowds gathered in Mashhad in preparation for the burial of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, overshadowed by a renewed exchange of strikes between the US and Iran.
The burial in Mr Khamenei's hometown on Thursday comes after mass funeral processions and mourning ceremonies held in Tehran, Qom and neighbouring Iraq. Funeral events have been filled with symbolism, aimed at projecting strength and unity at a time of instability for the country as it navigates its way forward after US and Israeli strikes killed Mr Khamenei and other top officials.
US President Donald Trump had initially promised a pause in attacks for the duration of the funeral processions, while talks with Iran and mediators were also set to resume after the burial. But Thursday marked a second day of attacks and escalation in hostilities.
Iranian media reported that military fighter jets were deployed to ensure airspace security during the burial procession.
Trains between Tehran and Mashhad were suspended after sections of the railway were damaged by the strikes. Videos posted on social media showed stranded passengers who had been heading to the burial.
Despite the escalation in hostilities, large crowds gathered in the eastern holy city, waving flags, banners with revolutionary slogans, and photographs of Mr Khamenei. He will be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine.
Earlier on Thursday, state television said the burial would be postponed to 2.30pm local time after larger-than-expected crowds in Najaf and Karbala had delayed the return of the body to Iran for burial.
As Mr Khamenei's body was taken around Iran and Iraq over the past week, clerical leaders and politicians encouraged supporters to attend ceremonies.
But despite Iran's theocratic regime surviving the heaviest assault in its history by its strongest enemies, the US and Israel, the country faces huge internal challenges, and the legacy of Mr Khamenei's 37-year rule is bitterly disputed.
The whereabouts of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader by a clerical assembly a week after his father's death, have remained a mystery to most Iranians.
He has not appeared in public since the war began with the strike that killed his father on February 28. And while he has issued written statements, no image or video or voice recording of him has been issued.
