Dubai: Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest early Friday in his hometown of Mashhad, months after being killed in the opening salvos of the Iran war. He ruled the country for nearly 37 years before being killed in US and Israeli airstrikes that marked the beginning of the conflict on February 28.
Khamenei is only the second ruler of Iran to be buried in Mashhad. In 1747, Nader Shah was laid to rest in the city after he was assassinated following nearly 11 years in power.
Funeral processions began on July 4, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran and other cities as huge crowds mourned the man who led Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.
The United States launched fresh airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting US-allied countries in West Asia in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim agreement intended to help end the war.
The latest exchanges, following similar attacks a day earlier, again put the fragile ceasefire under strain. Thursday's attacks were more extensive, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters, while missiles targeted Kuwait and Qatar.
Sirens also sounded in Jordan on Thursday afternoon, where the US maintains troops and military aircraft.
An Iranian official accused the US of carrying out an airstrike later on Thursday near Iran's only nuclear power plant. Explosions were also reported in several other parts of the country.
The strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signalled the end of the fragile ceasefire and warned that the conflict could escalate further if such attacks continued. The developments renewed concerns that the region could slide back into a wider war that could disrupt global energy shipments through the strategic waterway.
Iran's Health Ministry said the two days of US airstrikes killed at least 14 people and injured another 78. Most of the casualties were reportedly members of the armed forces.
In Kuwait, the military said falling debris injured one person after it intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 10 drones. Bahrain said it intercepted incoming projectiles without providing further details, while Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said all incoming Iranian projectiles were intercepted. Iranian state television claimed the Revolutionary Guard launched missiles at a US military base in Jordan.
There was no immediate report of damage in Qatar.
The US military's Central Command said it struck 90 targets across Iran and released footage showing what appeared to be attacks on an airport runway and missile launchers.
Washington said the strikes were intended to "further degrade" Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed before the war began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28.
Shipping traffic has gradually increased since an interim agreement last month reopened the waterway. Maritime data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence said preliminary figures showed at least 576 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in June, compared with 233 in May. More than 3,100 vessels had transited the strait in June 2025.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, home to the country's nuclear power plant complex, and several southern port cities. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Bushehr official Ehsan Jahanian as accusing the US of striking near the nuclear facility around noon, hours after Central Command announced the end of its latest wave of attacks. Asked about the allegation, Central Command referred to its earlier statement, which did not mention the nuclear facility.
For the first time since April, US strikes also appeared to target Iranian bridges. State media reported an attack on a railway bridge in Golestan province, while the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges on the route to Mashhad were struck as tens of thousands of mourners gathered for Khamenei's funeral procession.
After leaving a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump posted videos on social media showing what he described as explosions inside Iran and warned Tehran against further attacks.
"This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" Trump wrote on Wednesday, a day after three tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
He also said the latest round of fighting would not develop into a prolonged military conflict.
Trump renewed earlier threats to target Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electricity and desalination facilities, and to seize Kharg Island, through which around 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports pass.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who is involved in efforts to secure a permanent end to the war, responded on X.
"America still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: If you strike, you'll get hit," he wrote.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Telegram that he had spoken by phone with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Oman, as well as Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been among the key mediators in the conflict. The diplomatic outreach suggested efforts were underway to ease tensions.
Trump further fuelled concerns that the conflict could resume after declaring on Wednesday that the interim ceasefire agreement was "over". He said negotiations would continue but added that he believed the negotiators were "wasting their time".
Talks on a permanent agreement are expected to begin after the conclusion of the funeral ceremonies for Khamenei. The negotiations are expected to focus on key issues, including fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.