New US, Iran fighting erupts ahead of Khamenei burial
Crowds of mourners surround the convoy carrying the coffins of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a funeral procession, before he is buried at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran's most revered place of worship, in Mashhad on July 9, 2026. (AFP)
New fighting erupted between the United States and Iran hours ahead of the burial of longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei on July 9, with Tehran targeting U.S. allies in the region and American strikes hitting the perimeter of an Iranian nuclear power plant.
The renewed hostilities, triggered by tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, sparked concerns of a return to full-scale war after an April ceasefire and a June U.S.-Iran accord ended five weeks of conflict.
This was the second day in a row that the decades-old foes exchanged attacks, with Iranian officials reporting the U.S. attacks had killed 17 people.
