Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried early Friday in his hometown of Mashhad, concluding nearly a week-long funeral ceremony.Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years, was killed in US and Israeli air strikes on February 28, sparking the Middle East conflict. After several days of public mourning, he was buried at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.Khamenei is only the second Iranian ruler to be buried in Mashhad. The first was Nadir Shah, who was buried in the city after his assassination in 1747, after being in power for almost 11 years.Funeral processions began last Saturday, with authorities closing roads, closing airspace and paralyzing daily life in Tehran and other cities. Large crowds gathered to pay their respects to the leader who ruled Iran with an iron fist for decades while maintaining a confrontational stance toward the West.According to Iran International, Khamenei’s eldest son, Mustafa, led the funeral prayers. However, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second eldest of the late supreme leader’s four sons and his successor as Iran’s supreme leader, was notably absent from the ceremony. The other three sons attended the funeral.Khamenei’s body had to be airlifted to the holy shrine due to huge crowds gathering between Danesh Square and the Imam Reza shrine. State media broadcast scenes of huge crowds of mourners lining the funeral route in Mashhad and surrounding convoys carrying the former supreme leader’s body to bid farewell.The state broadcaster also showed the crowd holding anti-Trump banners during the march.The burial came amid renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran after Washington launched two consecutive days of strikes in response to attacks on civilian tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, which it blamed on Tehran. After this, Iran retaliated, which increased the tension further.Last month in June, both the countries had signed a memorandum of understanding to end their conflict. The agreement established a 60-day ceasefire and a roadmap for ongoing negotiations, initially drafted on 14 June and officially taking effect on 17 June.(with agency input)