Iran on Sunday strongly condemned US President Donald Trump after he claimed Washington could eliminate the country’s senior leadership gathered at the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei “in one shot”, accusing the United States of lacking “civilisation, history, or honour”.The sharp response came from the Iranian Embassy in Armenia, which posted a strongly worded message on X defending the late Iranian leader and criticising Trump’s remarks.“People can be killed, but ideals cannot. You killed Ayatollah Khamenei, but in reality, you broke a perfume bottle whose scent spread everyplace,” the embassy wrote.It added that the United States, which celebrated its 250th Independence Day on July 4, could not understand the scale of public mourning because it had “neither civilisation, nor history, nor honour”.
Trump questions mourning, says US could target Iran’s leaders
The diplomatic row followed comments Trump made in an interview with Axios, where he said he was surprised by the massive crowds attending Khamenei’s funeral.“I thought people hated Khamenei. Maybe it’s fake tears,” Trump said, according to ANI.He also claimed that the remaining Iranian leadership gathered at the funeral could be targeted if the United States chose to do so.“They are all there. One shot, and we can take them all out. But we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with,” Trump was quoted as saying by Axios.Trump also said the temporary pause in US-Iran diplomacy during the funeral period was a mutual decision and suggested both sides would resume negotiations after the week-long mourning ceremonies conclude.
Funeral draws huge crowds
Khamenei is lying in state in Tehran, where thousands of mourners and foreign dignitaries have gathered to pay their final respects.The former supreme leader, who was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, is scheduled to be buried in Mashhad on July 9 after funeral processions through Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala.The state-organised ceremonies have drawn large crowds, with mourners seen weeping, beating their chests and chanting slogans in keeping with Shiite mourning traditions.The coffins have been placed on a white stepped dais beneath an ornate arch, flanked by black mourning banners and Iranian flags, highlighting both the religious and political significance of the funeral.Iran has projected the funeral as a display of national unity and resistance amid heightened regional tensions.Khamenei’s death in an enemy strike has further reinforced the narrative of martyrdom central to Shiite history, where public mourning, funeral processions and collective expressions of grief symbolise shared resistance.The ceremonies have also featured chants of “Death to America”, while mourners carrying portraits of Khamenei and his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, have described the funeral as a moment of national defiance despite ongoing diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington.
