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Huge crowds in Mashhad as Iran's late supreme leader is buried

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Huge crowds in Mashhad as Iran's late supreme leader is buried

Huge crowds lined the streets of the holy city of Mashhad for the burial of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei was laid to rest at the shrine of Imam Reza, Iran's holiest Shia Muslim site, marking the end of six days of public mourning ceremonies in five cities across Iran and neighbouring Iraq.

Khamenei and several members of his family were killed in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran on 28 February, the first day of Iran's war with the US and Israel.

He was succeeded as supreme leader by his son Mojtaba, who has not been seen in public since he was reportedly seriously wounded in the same attack.

Some people were also holding photos of the late supreme leader and placards calling for the death of US President Donald Trump, who, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ordered the joint attack on Iran four months ago that triggered the war.

Iran's leadership wanted the choreographed funeral ceremonies for Khamenei to project unity and strength after a war, during which thousands of people have been killed, and the mass protests in January, when a crackdown by security forces left thousands more people dead.

The public mourning has, however, been marred by the renewed hostilities with the US.