'Death To America', 'Kill Trump': Khamenei Funeral Echoes With Vengeance As Iranian Officials End Months Of Hiding

New Delhi: The funeral proceedings for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Tehran's packed Grand Mosalla prayer complex, have become a flashpoint for intense anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment, with mourners and performers publicly calling for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Notably, Iran has organized a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei and four other members of his family who were killed on the first day of the U.S. and Israeli war on February 28, following over four months of delay due to the chaos of war in the Middle East.

Politically charged event

The funeral service transformed into a politically charged event, blending mourning with demands for retribution. Hundreds of thousands gathered, many staying overnight or arriving before daybreak for the 8 a.m. prayers. 

Clad in red flags of vengeance and holding portraits of the 86-year-old leader, the crowd chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" while demanding revenge. 

During the ceremony, a performer -Mohammad Rasouli- addressed the crowd, leading these chants and questioning why the “most b*****d man in the world”- referring to President Trump- remained alive, a remark that drew loud cheers.

"I came here to shout and seek revenge," said Gholamreza Sabooni, a 29-year-old grocery store worker. “They killed our imam. We should kill their leader, Trump”.

All about funeral

The funeral, which began on July 4, marks a pivotal moment for Iran following the assassination of the 86-year-old Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026. 

As the country navigates a complex transition of power, the new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has remained out of the public eye as reports suggest he is in hiding following his reported injury during the same strike that claimed his father’s life.

Amid the looming threat of Israeli strikes, Iran’s senior officials and the brothers of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, made their first public appearance since the war began during Sunday's funeral prayers. 

His other sons- Masoud, Meysam, and Mostafa- along with Revolutionary Guard commander General Ahmad Vahidi, were also captured in photographs for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities.

Crowds Swell

Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, led the prayers for the late Khamenei and his family members killed in the strike. On Monday, authorities began a procession through the streets of Tehran, with the flag-draped coffins of the late leader and his family members transported by truck.

Mourners reached out to touch the truck, and some threw scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing. Attendants, some on the ladders of firetrucks, sprayed misted water across the crowds to cool them in the heat.

The funeral is scheduled to continue through July 9, with further processions planned for the cities of Qom, as well as Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before the final burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. 

The atmosphere reflects a deeply polarized state of affairs in Iran as the ruling establishment seeks to consolidate support amid ongoing war and sensitive negotiations with Washington regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.

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