Iran Delays Khamenei Burial Amid Conflict Fears

Iranian authorities have yet to hold a state funeral or finalize the burial of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei more than seven weeks after his assassination in a joint United States and Israeli airstrike on February 28. The delay, amid an escalating conflict that has engulfed the Middle East, reflects heightened security concerns and fears of public unrest in a nation under strain.

Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was killed at his residence in Tehran, an event Iranian officials confirmed shortly after the strike. The attack ignited open hostilities between Iran and the US-Israel alliance, leading to further assassinations of senior figures, including security chief Ali Larijani in subsequent strikes. Iran responded with a nationwide internet blackout that has persisted for about 50 days, limiting information flow and public gatherings.

Initial plans for Khamenei's farewell, announced by state media in early March, called for a three-day mourning period at Tehran's Imam Khomeini prayer ground, followed by a public memorial procession and burial in Mashhad, the northeastern city of nearly five million where he was born. Officials, including Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi of...