New Delhi:
US President Donald Trump issued a fresh threat to Iran, claiming that he could eliminate the remaining leadership in the country with just “one shot” during the funeral ceremonies of the late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. He, however, said that he would not do so since there would be “no one left” to negotiate with.
“They are all there. One shot and we can take them all out, but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with…They are begging to make a deal,” Trump told Axios.
He also asserted that both sides have decided to take a week off from the talks until the events around Khamenei’s funeral end. In the meantime, Trump said, neither side will attack the other.
Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for 36 years, was killed on February 28 – the day the US and Israel began striking Iran, triggering a war in the Middle East. Speculations regarding the timeline of the final ceremonies had been building since March. While the Islamic jurisprudence typically dictates that a dead person be buried as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours, this was an exception due to a state of war.
Iran chose July 4, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the US, to begin Khamenei’s funeral. The funeral rituals will include events in Qom – a holy city south of Tehran, on July 7, and other religious observances. It will conclude on July 9 with Khamenei’s burial in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad.
Millions of Iranians have been gathering on the streets, making the funeral one of the closely tracked global events.
On Saturday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were seen crying during the farewell ceremony for the former Iranian Supreme Leader.
WATCH: Thousands Attend Khamenei’s Funeral, Iranian Leaders Break Down At Farewell
To this, Trump expressed surprise over Iranians crying at the funeral, saying he thought people “hated” Khamenei.
“Maybe it’s fake tears,” he said.
‘Gave a week off’
Earlier, Trump had said that the US gave Iran a “week off” for a funeral.
“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,” he said.
Mojtaba Khamenei to not attend father’s funeral?
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not attend the funeral ceremonies of his father, Ali Khamenei, over security concerns, his representative in India has reportedly said.
According to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, the Israeli threats and surveillance risks would make Mojtaba’s public attendance “dangerous”, reported news agency ANI.
