At Khamenei's Funeral, Iranians Chant for Revenge; Top Leaders Reappear
Tehran's Grand Mosalla prayer complex witnessed a mass funeral on Sunday for former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on February 28 during the US-Israeli war. The event drew hundreds of thousands of mourners, with chants of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' echoing through the crowd.
Some participants called for the killing of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Posters and graffiti at the venue carried similar slogans. A poet addressing the crowd said, 'Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive? ... It would be a disgrace if we did not kill the man who killed our imam.'
Iran's top political and military leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, attended the funeral, signaling unity and defiance. However, the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was absent; he is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the same airstrike that killed his father.
The funeral prayers were led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani. The coffins of Khamenei and four family members, including his 14-month-old granddaughter, were present. The small size of the infant's coffin drew particular emotion.
Iranian officials framed the funeral as a display of resistance. 'People are shouting two slogans: resistance against enemies and revenge for the blood of the martyred leader,' said Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of the National Security Council.
