Mass Funeral Held for Iran's Supreme Leader as Hard-Liners Renew Threats Against Trump

Iranian officials and relatives of the country's new supreme leader appeared in public during funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, signaling confidence in the security situation as Tehran continues negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the conflict, Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell reported for The Associated Press (AP).

Mourners gather during funeral ceremonies for Iran's supreme leader amid heightened regional tensions. (Photo: Khamenei.ir)

Hundreds of thousands of mourners reportedly attended the ceremonies, with crowds chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" while calling for revenge over the Feb. 28 attack that killed Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials, triggering the war.

According to the AP, some hard-line supporters also called for the assassination of US President Donald Trump.

Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared publicly during the funeral ceremonies. According to the report, he is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.

The report added that, before the April ceasefire, Israel had targeted senior Iranian leaders and had previously threatened Mojtaba Khamenei.