Exiled prince says Iran mourning not Khamenei but those he killed

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the Islamic Republic would continue Ali Khamenei’s path and pursue justice against what it called “American and Israeli criminals” as the slain supreme leader’s funeral continued Saturday.

“The martyrdom of our great leader is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new stage on the path of the elevation of Islam and our beloved Iran,” the ministry said in a statement.

The statement added seeking accountability over the alleged crimes would remain a permanent demand for the Islamic Republic.

An Iranian lawmaker on Saturday said European officials had been excluded from a funeral ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, describing Europe as "barbaric and savage."

"We did not allow any of Europe's barbaric and savage leaders to stand beside the coffin," Mojtaba Zarei, a member of parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, wrote on X.

Zarei thanked President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, saying they had "deliberately" not counted European countries among the "civilized nations" invited to the ceremony because they had remained silent over Khamenei's killing or sided with US President Donald Trump.

European leaders had not announced plans to attend the funeral ceremony, and no senior European officials were present at Friday's event.

Iranian state media said on Saturday that senior Shi'ite clerics would lead funeral prayers during ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, indicating current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will not perform the rites.

According to state media, Ja'far Sobhani will lead prayers in Tehran, Naser Makarem Shirazi in Qom, and Hossein Nouri Hamedani in Mashhad.

The announcement comes after the New York Times reported that Mojtaba Khamenei wanted to attend his father's burial but that security officials had opposed the idea. He has not appeared in public since his father's death in February.

A senior Iranian government official said on Saturday that any future negotiations with the United States would not change Iran's determination to seek revenge following the recent conflict.

"Even if we sit at the negotiating table, we negotiate with bitterness, not with pleasure," Elias Hazrati, head of the government's information council, said.

"Although a ceasefire has been established, the principle of revenge must remain in our hearts," he said, adding that Iran would "fight, negotiate and sign agreements" when necessary to serve the country's interests.

As Ali Khamenei’s coffin is carried through days of state-orchestrated mourning, the Islamic Republic is trying to recast a humiliating wartime death as martyrdom, continuity and power, and repair a system wounded by war and public distrust.

The funeral is not simply the burial of a dead ruler. It is an attempt to rebuild the image of a damaged power structure.

The Islamic Republic lost its leader in the first blow of the war, at the heart of its own power network and alongside members of his family.

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