At the state funeral for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday, poet Mohammad Rasouli called for the death of US President Donald Trump, prompting chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” from hundreds of thousands of mourners in Tehran. His question, “Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive?”, drew cheers, and his follow-up that “the world is no longer a good place for” Trump was met with applause, according to widespread media reports. It was the first time an emcee had directly targeted Trump during the ceremonies, though posters and graffiti demanding the killing of both the US president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been conspicuous.

The funeral coincided with Trump’s speech in Washington marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, in which he said recent American military operations had “wiped out” Iran’s and Venezuela’s militaries. This direct juxtaposition, noted by analysts in London, underscores the chasm between the two nations’ narratives even as indirect negotiations continue over a permanent end to the war that disrupted global energy supplies. The ceremony drew a significantly larger crowd than previous days, with mourners carrying Iranian flags and portraits of Khamenei, a display that Tehran-based observers interpret as a demonstration of support for the ruling establishment and the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, did not attend the funeral. According to multiple sources, he is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the same airstrike that killed his father on 28 February, and Israel has threatened to target him. His absence was noted alongside the presence of senior officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Ahmad Vahidi. In a separate development during the funeral, Iran’s chief negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi issued a warning to France and the United Kingdom over joint patrols in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint through which a fifth of global oil and gas traditionally transits, signalling Tehran’s effort to leverage its geography in the stalled talks.

Viewed from Washington, US authorities have long monitored Iranian threats against Trump and other officials, dating back to his 2020 order that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Iranian officials have formally denied plotting assassination, but hardline propaganda continues to depict Trump as a target. The funeral, delayed while hostilities were active, is expected to reinforce the position of Iran’s theocratic leadership as it faces both internal succession dynamics and external pressure. Negotiations with the US over a permanent end to the war remain on hold, and no timeline for their resumption has been announced.