- Crowds of hundreds of thousands gathered in Tehran for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, chanting 'Death to America' and calling for the assassination of U.S. President Trump.
- Senior Iranian officials, including the supreme leader's brothers and top commanders, appeared in public to attend the funeral, signaling confidence in their safety.
- The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared at the funeral and is believed to be in hiding after being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.
- Talks to reach a permanent end to the war are on hold until the end of the funeral.
- Iranian authorities expect 12-20 million people to attend the "funeral of the century", with the body lying in state at Tehran's Grand Mosalla and Sunday declared a public holiday.
- Mourner Zahra Safaei rejected Trump's claim, saying "We did not make a revolution 47 years ago to shed fake tears". Protesters called for Trump's death and held banners reading "kill Trump" and "kill Bibi".
- The funeral is a show of unity and defiance as Iran demands control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway it shut down during the war.
Thousands gathered in Tehran for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with senior officials attending but new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei absent amid fears for his safety.
The funeral, described as the 'funeral of the century,' is expected to draw 12-20 million attendees as Iran mourns its late leader.
Khamenei's body lies in state at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, where prominent Shia cleric Jafar Sobhani led the service.
Mourners expressed their anger towards the U.S. and Israel, chanting slogans like 'Death to America' and calling for revenge for the attack that killed Khamenei.1
Poet Mohammad Rasouli, addressing the crowd, stated, 'Why is the biggest bastard in the world still alive?' referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously commented on the situation, suggesting that peace talks were paused due to the funeral.4
The absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, who is believed to be in hiding after being reportedly wounded in an airstrike, raises concerns about the regime's stability.3
As the funeral unfolds, calls for revenge and unity resonate among the crowds, with many expressing that they did not sacrifice their martyrs for 'fake tears'.
The event serves as a significant moment for Iran, as it navigates its foreign policy and the ongoing war, with officials emphasizing the need for a strong response to honor Khamenei's legacy.
“Iranian authorities expect up to 20 million people to attend the 'funeral of the century' in Tehran, with Sunday declared a public holiday. US President Donald Trump questioned the mourners' tears as 'fake tears', drawing condemnation from attendees who chanted 'Death to America' and called for his assassination.”
The Independent
