Iranians prepare on Thursday to bury Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad in northeast Iran, following his death, according to reports from NDTV and Al-Monitor. Both outlets describe preparations underway as funeral plans proceed locally in Mashhad. The coverage also links the timing of the burial to a tense regional environment, noting that renewed US strikes could heighten the risk of escalation in the Middle East. Al-Monitor adds that the ceasefire is seen as increasingly uncertain. It cites a statement from US Central Command that the United States carries out strikes aimed at degrading the ability of Iranian forces “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, a central issue in US-Iran relations. The reports present the burial as a domestic event in Iran while emphasizing that concurrent military actions by the US are occurring as broader diplomacy and ceasefire efforts face pressure.