Khamenei to be buried tonight as Israel says it’s ready to strike Iran ‘for a third time’

Emotional scenes unfolded in Iran’s holy city of Mashhad on Thursday as thousands gathered to bid farewell to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed along with several members of his family in US airstrikes on February 28, the opening day of the Middle East war.

Khamenei will be laid to rest at the revered Imam Reza shrine in his hometown of Mashhad. Family members killed in the strikes, including his toddler granddaughter, will also be buried there.

The funeral comes as fighting between the United States and Iran intensifies once again. The US military confirmed it launched another wave of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, saying the operation aimed to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iran’s health ministry, the latest US attacks killed at least 14 people and injured 78 others over the past two days.

US hits 90 military targets

The fresh escalation follows Iran’s missile attacks on Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday, launched in retaliation for earlier US strikes.

Hours later, Washington responded with another large-scale military operation after President Donald Trump said Iran’s recent attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz showed the fragile ceasefire had effectively collapsed.

US military officials said nearly 90 Iranian military targets were struck, including air defence systems, missile and drone storage sites, and other strategic military assets.

In a statement on X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out additional strikes to further degrade Iran’s capability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil prices rise amid renewed conflict fears

The renewed hostilities pushed global oil prices higher as investors feared prolonged disruptions to energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude rose 1 per cent to $78.80 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed about 1 per cent to $74.26 a barrel. Both benchmarks extended gains after news of the latest US strikes.

Trump says ceasefire ‘over’

President Trump further heightened concerns by declaring the interim ceasefire was effectively “over”, although he said diplomatic talks could still continue.

“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” Trump said, casting doubt on the prospects for a negotiated settlement.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected Trump’s remarks, saying they reflected “not a sign of power but an admission of the failure” of US policy toward Iran.

The latest military exchanges have renewed fears that the conflict could spiral into a wider regional war, threatening global energy markets and drawing more countries into the crisis.