NPR News: 07-09-2026 6PM EDT

Jeanine Herbst· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. Today was the last day of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral, which started a week ago and spanned five cities. This comes as the US and Iran traded fire for a second day. NPR's Hadil Al-Shalchi has more.

Hadil Al-Shalchi0:17

Earlier in the day, Iranian state media showed huge crowds swarming the truck carrying the casket of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four of his killed family members as it made its way through his birthplace, Mashhad. People wearing black spilled into the streets to perform the ritual Islamic funeral prayers facing the caskets draped in the Iranian flag. Iranian state media reported that army fighter jets were flying over the skies of Mashhad to secure them for the last day of the funeral. On Wednesday, US CENTCOM said it struck Iranian military installations in retaliation for Iranian strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by targeting US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Istanbul.

Jeanine Herbst· Host1:01

The Maine Democratic Party says it's working on a plan to replace Graham Platner as the US Senate nominee. Platner announced he's suspending his campaign after he was accused of sexual assault by a former romantic partner. He denies the allegation. NPR's Sage Miller has more.

Sage Miller1:16

While Platner has not officially withdrawn himself from the race, the Maine Democratic Party released a statement saying it will host a new nominating convention to select his replacement. The statement emphasized the process would include