Millions of Iranians gathered in massive crowds on Thursday in the holy city of Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, to participate in the final farewell and funeral procession of the martyred international leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, who was laid to rest at the Imam Reza Holy Shrine. This concluded six days of official and public memorial and funeral services, which featured solemn funeral processions that traversed prominent holy sites in both Iran and neighboring Iraq.

The body of Ayatollah Khamenei arrived at Mashhad Airport this afternoon aboard an Iranian civilian aircraft escorted by a fighter jet, arriving from Iraq where the cities of Najaf and Karbala had hosted majestic funeral processions for him and his family.

A massive crowd received the casket at the airport, in the presence of the Commander of the IRGC Quds Force, General Esmail Qaani. This marked the final station of a funeral ceremony deeply laden with religious and political symbolism, drawing the curtain on six days of public mourning declared across five cities in both countries.

Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in Mashhad reported that millions of Iranians traveled from outside the city by bus to take part in the ceremonies, despite U.S. aggression that targeted subway stations. The main streets and roads leading to the shrine of Imam Ali al-Rida—and the birthplace of Ayatollah Khamenei—were packed with immense crowds, with many participants waving Iranian flags and holding portraits.

Widespread calls for retaliation echoed among the mourners, who raised banners demanding revenge for Ayatollah Khamenei, who was martyred in the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting the Islamic Republic this year. His body was laid to rest today in his birthplace next to the holy Razavi shrine.