US President Donald Trump has asserted that the United States possesses the capability to eliminate the surviving Iranian leadership with a single military strike, referencing the gathering of top Iranian officials at the week-long state funeral for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei died in joint US-Israeli air strikes on February 28.
Trump's Statement on Potential Strike
In an interview with Axios, Trump stated, '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.' He emphasized that Washington intends to maintain diplomatic channels with Tehran.
Mojtaba Khamenei Skips Funeral Over Security Fears
Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not attend his father's funeral ceremonies due to severe security concerns, his representative in India told ANI. Ayatollah Hakim Elahi explained that persistent Israeli threats and heightened surveillance risks make Mojtaba's public attendance 'dangerous.'
Trump Questions Mourners' Sincerity
Trump expressed surprise at Iranians weeping during the funeral procession, saying he believed the public hated Ali Khamenei. 'Maybe it's fake tears,' he remarked. The comment drew sharp criticism from the Iranian embassy in Armenia, which posted on X: 'You don't understand these things because you have neither civilisation, nor history, nor honour.'
Previous Remarks and Iranian Warnings
Earlier, ahead of Independence Day celebrations, Trump took a swipe at Tehran: 'We knocked the hell out of Iran. They're dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral because we're nice.'
Before the funeral began, senior Iranian military commander Ali Abdollahi, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned Washington and Tel Aviv against any military operations. In an official release broadcast by state media, he stated: 'We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the US and the Zionist regime (Israel), to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country.'
Funeral Procession Details
The funeral processions for Khamenei started on July 3 in Tehran, with additional ceremonies planned in Qom and neighboring Iraq. The state ceremonies are scheduled to end on July 9, with final burial in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
On July 1, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also warned that Tehran would respond instantly and robustly to any threat against its people or leadership. This followed Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz's public declaration that Mojtaba Khamenei was 'marked for death.'
