Trump was stunned to see the crowd at Khamenei’s funeral, said – ‘I thought the public hated me’

US President Donald Trump has expressed deep surprise after seeing the huge turnout at the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a conversation with ‘Axios’, when Trump was asked about the scenes of this funeral, he clearly said that he was shocked to see this. Expressing his surprise, Trump said, “I thought people hated him.”

Flood of mourning gathered in Tehran

Millions of people attended Khamenei’s funeral ceremony, which began in Tehran on Saturday. Khamenei’s posters and banners were visible everywhere on the streets of the capital. People in the crowd were holding his photo with slogans like ‘Take revenge!’ Take revenge!’ Were raising slogans. As per Shia tradition, people were seen collectively beating their chests to express mourning, making the entire atmosphere sombre and fiery.

How did Ayatollah Ali Khamenei die?

86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been ruling Iran since 1989. He was killed in an Israeli attack on February 28, during the beginning of the Iran–Israel war. The attack was so gruesome that not only Khamenei, but also many of his family members and senior officials were killed. Those who lost their lives along with him included his daughter, son-in-law, his young granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani and the wife of his son Mojtaba Khamenei.

The funeral procession will continue for a week

The coffin of the late leader will remain in Tehran for three days. After this, on July 7, it will be taken to the holy city ‘Kom’. After this, there is a plan to take out a special procession in the neighboring country Iraq on Wednesday. The funeral will conclude on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad, where he will be buried along with family members who lost their lives in the Israeli strike.

Mojtaba Khamenei kept distance due to security

Amidst this entire sad atmosphere, a big discussion is that Iran’s current supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is not attending his father’s funeral. Iran’s representative in India, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, said that Mojtaba has taken this decision due to security reasons. He explained that due to Israeli threats and the risk of constant surveillance, appearing in public could be life threatening.

Why is this mourning important for Iran’s diplomacy?

This funeral of Khamenei is being considered a huge political message for Iran’s religious regime and its new leadership. This period is very delicate for Iran, because it is negotiating an end to the war with America over its hold on the Strait of Hormuz. This funeral had been postponed earlier also due to the intensity of the war. The talks are still completely stalled because the fear of a repeat attack from Israel remains constant.