Iran Funeral Crowd Calls for Trump's Death
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- Mohammad Rasouli, a poet, drew cheers from mourners at Khamenei's funeral by asking why "the most bastard man in the world" — referring to Trump — "is still alive," prompting chants of "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!"
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed at age 86 in a Feb. 28 airstrike in the opening moments of the Iran war, with his six-day state funeral now underway at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where his remains will lie in state until Monday (July 6).
- Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son, has taken over as Iran's new Supreme Leader, with the funeral positioned as a potential boost for the country's theocracy.
- The Sunday (July 5) ceremony drew a far larger crowd than the previous day, with mourners in black carrying banners honoring Khamenei and calling for Trump's killing while he was simultaneously speaking in Washington for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
- Top Iranian officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, and Head of Judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei paid their respects, alongside foreign delegations from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan's Taliban government.
- The funeral was delayed because the war raged, and talks remain on hold until the ceremony concludes — with Iran seeking to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the U.S. over a permanent end to the conflict.
- Authorities expect the public mourning and processions to attract millions before the burial next week, with strict security in place — no vehicles permitted within a kilometre of the venue.
Why it matters: The chants for Trump's death at a funeral attended by millions — broadcast on state media during a simultaneous U.S. Independence Day speech — underscore how the Khamenei succession and ongoing war have hardened Iranian hostility toward the U.S. just as Tehran holds the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in negotiations for a permanent ceasefire.
