‘Knocked the Hell Out of Iran, They’re Dying to Settle’: Trump Boasts US Gave Tehran a ‘Week Off’ for Khamenei’s Funeral

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota: President Donald Trump used his Independence Day address at Mount Rushmore on Friday to highlight what he described as sweeping American victories abroad and a historic economic resurgence at home, while delivering a pointed message to Iran amid the funeral observances for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump claimed the United States had effectively “broken the spirit” of Iranian leadership through sustained pressure, leaving Tehran eager for a settlement. He announced that Washington had paused hostilities for a week as a humanitarian gesture tied to the funeral ceremonies.

“We knocked the hell out of Iran. They’re dying to settle,” Trump told the crowd. “We gave them a week off for a funeral because we’re nice people,” he said.

The remarks came during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. Trump also pointed to rapid successes in Venezuela, asserting that his administration achieved a decisive outcome “in one day.” He framed these developments as proof that the United States now possesses “the strongest and most powerful military” in history, crediting it with victories in two world wars and the Cold War.

On the domestic front, Trump painted a picture of unprecedented economic strength. He cited a surge in foreign investment, claiming $19.2 trillion had flowed into the United States in the past 12 months, far exceeding figures from the previous administration.

“We built the biggest and most dynamic economy… our country today is doing better than it’s ever done before,” he said.

Trump attributed the momentum to the November 5 election victory and his tariff policies, which he said have sparked a manufacturing renaissance with new plants and factories opening at record rates.

“Thanks to our great election win and the tariffs, plants and factories are being built all over the United States right now at a number that we’ve never, ever seen before,” Trump declared. He added that the nation is now “the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

The president drew a sharp contrast with the situation two years earlier under former President Joe Biden, describing that period as one in which America was “laughed at, mocked, and a nation in decline.” Today, he said, the United States commands unmatched global respect, with even greater achievements on the horizon.

“Two years ago, we were laughed at… and today, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world,” Trump stated. “We’re respected like no nation in the world is respected… and the best is yet to come!,” he said.

The speech coincided with ongoing mourning in Iran following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Iranian state media, the funeral events represent one of the largest international gatherings in the country in recent memory, with officials estimating 15 to 20 million mourners over multiple days.

Public tributes continued through the weekend, with Khamenei’s body lying in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla. A major funeral procession is scheduled for Monday in Tehran, followed by ceremonies in Qom and later in Iraq’s holy cities of Baghdad, Karbala, and Najaf. Burial is set for July 9 in Mashhad. Organizers planned to open the Mosalla gates to the public at 6 a.m. local time Saturday, with the possibility of an earlier opening.

(With inputs from ANI)