Iran has released the first interior footage of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound, revealing its complete destruction following a US-Israel airstrike on February 28. The strike, which killed the 86-year-old leader, marked the beginning of a four-month conflict. The 50-second clip shows rubble, collapsed ceilings, and warped beams within the compound's Imam Khomeini Hussainiya hall, where Khamenei previously held meetings and delivered sermons.
Ayatollah Khamenei was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba, though reports suggest the new leader may have been injured in the same strike.
Escalating Retaliation and Funeral Processes
The release of the footage coincides with Iran's ongoing six-day funeral procession for Khamenei, which is set to conclude with his burial in Mashhad. On Thursday, the US conducted strikes on targets including the railway line connecting Tehran and Mashhad, just hours before the late leader's burial. This incident followed two days of retaliatory attacks between the US and Iran.
Iran's military reported using one-way attack drones on Thursday to target sites in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, identified as a Patriot missile interceptor system in Kuwait, an early warning system in Qatar, and fuel tanks in Bahrain. These actions were described as retaliation for earlier US strikes. Blasts were heard in Bahrain's capital, and Kuwait reported responding to hostile drone and missile attacks.
Residents in Qatar received an alert warning of an elevated threat level. Earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guards stated they had targeted US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The suspension of the Tehran-Mashhad train service was attributed by Iran Railways to a "criminal attack by the US-Israeli enemy."
US military officials indicated that their strikes on July 8 targeted approximately 90 Iranian military sites, including air defense systems and missile storage facilities, aimed at degrading Iran's ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. A day prior, the US military reported striking over 80 targets, including Iranian speedboats, in response to attacks on commercial vessels.
Thousands of mourners participated in funeral processions for Khamenei in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala earlier in the week. These ceremonies began on Saturday in Tehran, with significant disruptions to daily life. Khamenei's body was transported from Najaf to Karbala before its return to Iran for burial.
Interim talks to end the monthslong conflict between the US and Iran are reportedly on hold until after the burial. The recent exchanges of strikes have raised concerns about the potential breakdown of the ceasefire agreement.