WASHINGTON, D.C: U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked fresh controversy by claiming he was “shocked” to see emotional scenes at the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while also boasting that the U.S. could have targeted everyone present at the ceremony.
In a telephone interview with journalist Barak Ravid of the American website Axios, President Trump adopted a characteristically confrontational tone, stating that Iran’s top leadership and key figures were gathered in one place at the funeral. “If we wanted to, we could have eliminated everyone there,” Trump said, according to the interview. However, he added that the U.S. would not do so because “then there would be no one left for negotiations.”
The U.S. president expressed deep surprise at the outpouring of grief from Iranian mourners. “I thought Iranians hated Ali Khamenei, but I was shocked to see the people crying,” Trump said. He questioned the authenticity of the emotions, adding, “Maybe these tears are real, maybe not.”
Trump also claimed that the U.S. and Iran had mutually agreed to temporarily suspend negotiations until the completion of Khamenei’s funeral and mourning ceremonies. He asserted that Iran is “dying to make a deal” with the U.S. and that talks are expected to resume after the funeral rites conclude.
Ayatollah Khamenei was reportedly martyred in an attack on February 28, which Iran has attributed to Israel and the United States. His funeral ceremonies have been underway, with the body scheduled to be taken to Mashhad on July 9 after stops in Tehran, Qom, Karbala, and Najaf.
