US President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States could eliminate Iran’s remaining leadership “with one shot” during the funeral ceremonies of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
But said Washington would refrain because it still wants to pursue negotiations with Tehran. Speaking to Axios, Trump suggested that Iran’s top leadership was gathered in one place during the funeral, but insisted the US had no intention of carrying out such an attack.
“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… They are begging to make a deal,” Trump said.
He also claimed that both countries had effectively paused hostilities during the funeral period.
“We’ve given them a week off,” Trump said, adding that neither side would launch attacks while the ceremonies were underway.
Trump Surprised By Mourning Scenes
Trump also reacted to images of mourners attending Khamenei’s funeral, saying he was surprised by the emotional scenes.
“I thought people hated him,” the US president said, referring to the late Iranian leader.
After being shown footage of senior Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, appearing emotional during the ceremony, Trump questioned the authenticity of their reactions.
- “Maybe it’s fake tears,” he remarked.
- Khamenei Funeral Underway
Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, was killed on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, triggering a wider regional conflict.
Although Islamic tradition generally calls for burial within 24 hours, Iranian authorities delayed the funeral because of the ongoing conflict and security considerations.
Iran began the funeral ceremonies on July 4, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of US independence. The events include religious observances in Qom on July 7 before concluding with Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.
Millions of mourners have gathered across Iran, making the funeral one of the most closely watched international events in recent weeks.
Mojtaba Khamenei Reportedly To Skip Funeral
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei, widely regarded as a key figure within Iran’s leadership, is not expected to attend his father’s funeral because of security concerns.
According to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, Mojtaba Khamenei’s representative in India, the decision was taken due to concerns over potential Israeli threats and surveillance, making his public appearance “dangerous,” ANI reported.
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