Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed Feb. 28 in an airstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the United States, sat on board a truck. Authorities decorated the truck’s side to resemble the ornamental grating that surrounds the shrine of an imam.

kAm%96 4@77:?D H:== 36 E2<6? E9C@F89 E96 DEC66ED @7 %69C2? @? E96:C H2J E@ |69C2325 x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CE @G6C 2 `a\9@FC ;@FC?6J[ D2:5 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5 v6?] w2D2? w2D2?KD569[ H9@ 😀 @G6CD66:?8 E96 AC@46DD:@?]k^Am

kAmxC2?VD E96@4C24J A=2?D E@ D66 =2C86 4C@H5D 2EE6?5 E96 46C6>@?J 24C@DD E96 4:EJ E@ D9@H A@AF=2C DFAA@CE 7@C E96 8@G6C?>6?E] p=C625J[ E9@FD2?5D 92G6 82E96C65 2E DBF2C6D 😕 %69C2?[ H2G:?8 7=28D 2?5 32??6CD 😕 z92>6?6:VD 9@?@C]k^Am

kAmpFE9@C:E:6D 92G6 D9FE 5@H? DEC66ED[ 2:CDA246 2?5 52:=J =:76 7@C E96 >@FC?:?8[ H9:49 3682? $2EFC52J 2?5 H:== 6?5 %9FCD52J 2D E96 ge\J62C\@=5 z92>6?6: 😀 3FC:65 2E E96 x>2> #6K2 D9C:?6 😕 |2D9925[ 9:D 3:CE9A=246]k^Am

kAm%96 &]$] 😀 >62?H9:=6 AC6DD:?8 29625 H:E9 ?68@E:2E:@?D H:E9 xC2? 2:>65 2E 7F==J C6@A6?:?8 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DEC2:E\@7\9@C>FKQm$EC2:E @7 w@C>FKk^2m[ C@==:?8 324< :ED 5:DAFE65 ?F4=62C AC@8C2> 2?5 C6249:?8 2 A6C>2?6?E 6?5 E@ E96 H2C] %2=

kAmpD E96 7F?6C2= 92D 8@?6 @?[ 9@H6G6C[ E96C6VD :?4C62D:?8=J 366? E9C62ED 7C@> >@FC?6CD E@ 2G6?86 z92>6?6:VD 562E9] |@FC?6CD 2?5 E96 D:8?D E96J 42CCJ 92G6 42==65 7@C E96 <:==:?8 @7 3@E9 &]$] !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 xDC26=: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C q6?;2>:? }6E2?J29F] $F49 D:8?D H6C6 D66? 282:? |@?52J 2=@?8 E96 AC@46DD:@?VD C@FE6]k^Am

kAm&]$] 7656C2= 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 366? EC24<:?8 xC2?:2? E9C62ED 282:?DE %CF>A 2?5 @E96C 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @77:4:2=D 7@C J62CD[ DE6>>:?8 7C@> %CF>AVD @C56C:?8 E96 a_a_ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2A\E@A\?6HD\E69C2?\:?E6C?2E:@?2=\?6HD\:C2B\2=:\<92>6?6:\ddhf77_7_ce2efg_d44abb5dhbb2db65Qm<:==:?8 @7 v6?] “2DD6> $@=6:>2?:k^2m[ H9@ 925 =65 E96 6=:E6 “F5D u@C46] xC2? 92D C6A62E65=J 56?:65 A=@EE:?8 E@ <:== %CF>A[ E9@F89 92C5\=:?6 AC@A282?52 7@@E286 =@?8 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:55=6\62DE\:C2?\5@?2=5\ECF>A\>2C\2\=28@\3289525\`efa6hfce_ef7h6g`d`2f3aa6ehged3gQmDF886DE65 %CF>A H2D 😕 %69C2?’D 4C@DD92:CDk^2m]k^Am

kAm%CF>A >62?H9:=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\:C2?\E9C62ED\4:G:=:K2E:@?\H2C\4C:>6D\fdg63d45eg_5f5afd4c6`4bg3a6_`6e5QmAC@>:D65 E@ 56DEC@J xC2?’D 4:G:=:K2E:@?k^2m 5FC:?8 E96 H2C[ 2>@?8 @E96C E9C62ED]k^Am

kAm“%@52J E92E H6 2C6 96C6 7@C E96 7F?6C2= 7@C @FC =6256C[ :E’D 2 G6CJ E@F89 52J[Q >@FC?6C u2E:>2 w2DD2? D2:5 |@?52J >@C?:?8] Q(6 2C6 ?@E 96C6 E@ D2J 8@@53J6 E@ 9:>[ H6 2C6 96C6 7@C C6G6?86] p?5 H6 H:== E2<6 C6G6?86]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmv2>3C6== C6A@CE65 7C@> sF32:[ &?:E65 pC23 t>:C2E6D]k^Am


Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.