Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral prayers were attended by millions after US President Donald Trump’s “one shot can take all” comments.
According to Al Jazeera, millions of people arrived in Iran during the weekend to pay their last respects to the late supreme leader who was killed in a US-Israel strike.
The funeral prayers of Khamenei and four other members of his family were held on Sunday, July 5, in Tehran, days after delegations from several foreign countries paid their respects to him.
Tehran Motor records over 7 million trips
Citing the official figures, the Tasnim News Agency reported that Tehran’s metro network registered more than 7 million passenger trips from 5:30 pm Saturday to 7 am Sunday.
The number of riders increased as the funeral for the former supreme leader and members of his family took place at the Imam Khomeini Musalla in Tehran, where the procession will continue until 8pm.
Trump’s strike warning during Khamenei's funeral
US President Donald Trump ahead of the funeral ensured that “neither side will shoot the other during the funeral proceedings.”
However, his comments to Axios before the US 250th birthday celebrations sparked backlash. Talking to the media outlet, the Republican president suggested that all of Iran’s top leaders had gathered at one place and were within reach.
The 80-year-old told Axios, “They are all there. One shot and we can take them all out, but we are not going to do that. We beat Venezuela in one day, and we knocked the hell out of Iran; they’re dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave him a week off for a funeral because we’re nice.”
Trump has previously also expressed his "shock" at seeing thousands of people crying at Khamenei’s funeral, saying that he thought “people hated him.”
Iran responds to Trump’s comment
Iran issued a fiery response to President Trump’s comments about Khamenei's final rites.
Iran’s embassy in Yerevan, “People can be killed, but ideals cannot. You killed Ayatollah Khamenei, but in reality, you broke a perfume bottle whose scent spread everyplace.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei assassination
Late Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026, along with four other members of his family, including his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and 14-month-old granddaughter.
His son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who became the new leader of Iran, has not been seen publicly since then.
The public funeral of Khamenei began on Saturday, July 4, and his funeral prayers were held on Sunday. A procession will begin on Monday before he will be laid to rest on Thursday, July 9, in his hometown, Mashhad.
