Hundreds of thousands of mourners flooded the streets of Tehran and Mashhad for the funeral of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the message they delivered was not subtle. Banners calling for the death of US President Donald Trump. Chants of “We will kill Trump” reverberating through packed avenues. A eulogist who called killing the American president “our duty” and labeled him “the biggest bastard in the world.”
Trump, never one to let a threat go unanswered, responded with escalatory language of his own. He acknowledged being “number one on their list” and warned Iran of serious retribution should any retaliation materialize. The geopolitical temperature between Washington and Tehran, already running dangerously hot since Khamenei’s assassination on February 28, 2026, just ticked up another few degrees.
From airstrike to funeral procession
Khamenei was killed in an airstrike attributed to the escalating hostilities between the US, Israel, and Iran. His death in late February sent shockwaves through the Middle East, but the regime delayed the formal funeral ceremonies for months. The multi-day processions culminated on July 9, 2026, turning into a massive public display of both mourning and defiance.
