Iran warns against foreign military presence in Strait of Hormuz after UK-France statement

Crowds gathered at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla for Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies chanted “revenge, revenge” in unison.

Chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” were also dominant at the venue, according to Iranian and Israeli media reports.

Photos and videos from the ceremony showed many participants carrying banners and placards invoking “blood vengeance,” while some signs referred to killing US President Donald Trump.

The ceremonies began in Tehran on Saturday, the first day of a multi-day funeral procession expected to continue through Iran and several Iraqi cities before Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad on Thursday.

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US President Donald Trump said Washington had given Iran “a week off” for Ali Khamenei’s funeral processions, while adding that Tehran was eager to settle with the United States after recent war.

Speaking at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, Trump said: “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.”

The remarks came as funeral processions for Iran’s late Supreme Leader began in Tehran, with ceremonies expected to continue in Iran and Iraq before his burial later this week.

The gates of Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla opened before dawn on Saturday, allowing the public to enter hours ahead of the funeral for Iran's Supreme Leader, according to IRGC affiliated Tasnim News.

Iranian lawmaker Morteza Mahmoudi said on Friday a “suspicious” campaign emerged on social media since Thursday to discourage people from attending the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader by warning of large crowds.

"Since yesterday in cyberspace, a suspicious narrative emerged to prevent people from attending the funeral ceremony of Leader under the pretext of crowd congestion, which has quickly spread!" he posted on X.

"But the passionate and prudent presence of people from across the country at this historic ceremony will humiliate and expose the foreign enemies and their domestic mercenaries."