At the packed prayer hall in Tehran on Sunday, during the funeral of assassinated former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, mourners called for the killing of Donald Trump. The event, part of a week of mass funeral processions, melded grief with calls for revenge.
Funeral Ceremony and Calls for Revenge
The funeral prayers for Khamenei and four other family members created a political spectacle at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla. Many mourners stayed overnight or arrived before dawn for the 8am prayer reading. Crowds were larger and more militant than on Saturday, waving Iranian flags, pictures of Khamenei, and red flags symbolizing vengeance.
Poet Mohammad Rasouli declared before the prayer: "From now on the shroud is our garment. I swear by your blood; Trump's murder is our responsibility." He asked, "Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive?" The remark drew mixed reactions but mostly enthusiastic cheers.
Official Statements and Absence of New Supreme Leader
Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami, said on X: "You can kill people, but you can't kill ideals. You killed Ayatollah Khamenei, but in reality you broke a bottle of perfume, the fragrance of which has now spread everywhere."
The main funeral prayers were led by Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani, a 97-year-old cleric from Qom. Readings were given for Khamenei, his daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad Adel, and his 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani. The small coffin of the granddaughter was a poignant sight.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, remained absent from public view, unlike his three brothers who stood beside their father's coffin. He has not appeared publicly or recorded any audio message for three months and did not attend his wife's funeral last Thursday.
Attendance and Security
Senior Iranian government officials, including al-Quds force commander Esmail Qaani and IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, attended, suggesting assurances that the ceasefire with the US precludes an attack on the ceremony. Streets around the mosque were festooned with pictures of Mojtaba Khamenei, and clerics distributed books of his speeches. Officials acknowledged Mojtaba was injured in the attacks but said no permanent disfigurement occurred.
Mourners chanted "No compromise, no surrender, only revenge" and waved red flags. The space, said to hold 30,000 people, was filled before dawn. Some men dressed in white burial shrouds to demonstrate willingness to die as martyrs. Unofficial authorities claimed more than 2 million attended the opening day.
Genuine Grief and Diverse Reactions
Attendee Husain Dehghan, a 70-year-old book translator, said: "The people had a sense of grief after the terrorist assassination of our leader... It is completely unacceptable to assassinate the major leader of another country when there was no declared war." Another resident, Ibrahim Kalim, described the impact of Israeli bombs: "You cannot know the effect at night of counting 20 or more bombs landing just miles from you."
Meanwhile, in northern Tehran, a different scene unfolded with families without hijabs going to restaurants, highlighting the disparity in wealth between those who attend the funeral and those who do not.
