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Massive Blaze Erupts at Slain Ayatollah's Burial Site in Mashhad | WATCH

A fire broke out at the Imam Reza Shrine complex in Mashhad, where Ali Khamenei was buried a week ago,

JUL 16, 2026 16:05

2 min read

Blaze Erupts at Slain Ayatollah's Burial Sitein Mashhad

A fire broke out Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine complex in Mashhad, the same religious complex where former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was laid to rest on July 9, according to Iranian state media and multiple regional outlets. The blaze began at a construction site within the sprawling complex where workers were carrying out bitumen processing, producing thick smoke that spread across part of the pilgrimage grounds.

Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that emergency crews quickly contained the fire, preventing it from reaching the shrine's central burial areas or the adjacent Goharshad Mosque. No injuries were reported, and officials said there was no damage to the burial site itself. Authorities said they are investigating the cause.

The fire drew attention in part because of the complex's newly elevated significance. Khamenei, who led Iran for more than three decades, was killed in the opening strikes of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, 2026, along with several family members.

His death was confirmed by Iranian state media the following day, and the government declared 40 days of mourning. His funeral, delayed roughly four months amid the war and its aftermath, finally took place from July 3 to July 9, with processions through Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before his burial at the Imam Reza Shrine, his hometown. Iranian health officials estimated that as many as 15 million mourners took part.

Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named Iran's new supreme leader in March but has largely stayed out of public view since.

Thursday's fire is not the first at the shrine complex. A previous blaze broke out there in 2022 after an electrical malfunction, and cleaning equipment caught fire on the grounds in April of this year. Neither incident caused casualties or lasting damage.