Khamenei Funeral in Mashhad Delayed 8 Hours as Crowds Swell and Iran Alleges US Bridge Strikes
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 9
Khamenei Funeral in Mashhad Delayed 8 Hours as Crowds Swell and Iran Alleges US Bridge Strikes
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 9
Summary
Iran pushed back the final procession for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad by eight hours to 2 p.m. local time, delaying the last stage of a weeklong funeral.
Iranian state media blamed huge crowds from ceremonies in Najaf and Karbala, while officials also said overnight U.S. strikes hit two railway bridges between Tehran and Mashhad, disrupting passenger travel.
The U.S. military did not confirm striking the bridges, but the disruption clouded an event Tehran had staged as a display of defiance against Washington.
Tens of thousands still gathered before dawn in Mashhad, filling streets, mosques and the Imam Reza Shrine, where Khamenei is to be buried, as U.S.-Iran hostilities extended into a second straight night.