Huge crowds gather in Mashhad for burial of Iran's supreme leader

Huge crowds gather in Mashhad for burial of Iran's supreme leaderImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Crowds gathered on a boulevard in Mashhad leading to the gold-domed Imam Reza shrineByDavid GrittenPublished1 minute agoHuge crowds have gathered in the holy city of Mashhad ahead of the burial of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Khamenei will be buried 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.The burial comes after an exchange of strikes between Iran and the US that threatens to derail a preliminary deal to end the war in which he was killed.Earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused the US of bombing two bridges on the railway line from the capital, Tehran, to Mashhad overnight "in an effort to overshadow" the funeral.Latest updatesUS and Iran trade strikes for second night in a row after Trump declares ceasefire 'over'Published2 hours agoBowen: For all his bluster, Trump has no better option than talks with IranPublished21 hours agoKhamenei 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.The 56-year-old did not participate in the funeral ceremonies in Tehran and Qom, and there has been no indication that he will attend the burial.On Thursday morning, a plane carrying the coffins of Ali Khamenei and four other members of his family landed in Mashhad after flying from Iraq, where huge crowds took part in processions to two Shia shrines in the cities of Najaf and Karbala.Later, Iranian TV footage showed thousands of mourners dressed in black walking along a main boulevard in central Mashhad. Many were waving Iranian f...