Iran buried its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 9, 2026, at the country's holiest shrine in Mashhad. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains out of public view after being disfigured in the strike that killed his father. The burial followed a week of mass funeral processions and mourning ceremonies amid renewed conflict with the United States after weeks of truce.

In a significant escalation, the US military completed a new wave of airstrikes against Iran, targeting approximately 90 military sites, including air-defense systems, radars, and port facilities. These strikes came after Iran targeted several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman and launched retaliatory fire over Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Sirens sounded in Kuwait, and alerts were activated in Qatar and Bahrain. Kuwait’s military reported intercepting two ballistic missiles and 13 drones launched by Iran.

President Donald Trump declared the fragile ceasefire over, citing recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that US attacks could get "much worse" if Iran continued such actions. Military officials stated the strikes aimed to "further degrade" Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for a fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas.

Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex, and the southern port cities of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik. The conflict has raised fears of a broader war reigniting in the region.

Despite surviving months of attacks by the US and Israel, Iran faces significant internal challenges, and the legacy of Khamenei's 37-year rule remains contested. Negotiations for a final deal had been expected to start following Khamenei's funeral.

Sources