Washington, D.C. [US], July 5 (ANI): U.S. President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, claiming that he could eliminate the country’s remaining leadership with “one shot” during the funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to an Axios report.
Trump, however, said he would refrain from doing so because there would be “no one left” to negotiate with.
“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 told Axios.
The U.S. president also asserted that both countries had agreed to pause discussions for a week until Khamenei’s funeral proceedings conclude. During this temporary pause, Trump said neither side would launch attacks against the other.
Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, was killed on Feb. 28. His death coincided with the start of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which subsequently escalated into a broader conflict in the Middle East.
Speculation over the timing of the funeral ceremonies had intensified since March. Although Islamic tradition generally calls for burial as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours, Iranian authorities made an exception because of the ongoing conflict.
Iran selected July 4, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, to begin Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies. The scheduled observances include events in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, on July 7, along with other religious ceremonies.
The state funeral is scheduled to conclude on July 9 with Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad, a holy city in northeastern Iran.
Millions of Iranians have taken to the streets to participate, making the funeral one of the most closely watched global events.
On Saturday, senior Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, were seen in tears during the farewell ceremony for the former supreme leader.
Reacting to the scenes, Trump expressed surprise that Iranians were crying during the funeral, saying he believed the public “hated” Khamenei.
“Maybe it’s fake tears,” Trump said.
Earlier, the U.S. president said Washington had given Iran a “week off” to conduct the funeral services.
“We beat Venezuela in one day, and we knocked the hell out of Iran; they’re dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave him a week off for a funeral because we’re nice,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not attend his father’s funeral ceremonies because of serious security concerns, his representative in India told ANI.
Ayatollah Hakim Elahi said persistent Israeli threats and heightened security risks would make Mojtaba Khamenei’s public appearance “dangerous.” (ANI)
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