Iran Buries Slain Supreme Leader, Protesters Demand Revenge on Trump

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's body was carried by truck through the crowded streets of Mashhad in northeast Iran, as a sea of black-clad mourners gathered to bid farewell to the country's former Supreme Leader. The burial marked the culmination of a week of mass funeral processions, rallies, and mourning ceremonies. However, the scene was marred by chants of 'Death to America' and 'Kill Trump', with protesters calling for revenge against the US President. Mourners waved Iranian flags, photographs of the late Khamenei, and red placards with revolutionary slogans, as they pressed in close behind the coffins. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has grown in influence throughout Khamenei's 37-year rule, has proclaimed his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader. However, his whereabouts remain a mystery, and he has not appeared in public since the war began with Israel. The late Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader in 1989, a decade after the Islamic revolution. He consolidated power in his office, marginalising the elected president and parliament. His legacy is disputed, with widespread damage and internal economic woes adding to the challenges facing the country. Despite being battered by months of sanctions and conflict, Iran has emerged strategically strengthened, with its grip over the vital Strait of Hormuz intact. However, the country's economy has suffered, and the people are angry. The funeral ceremony was attended by thousands of mourners, including senior clerics and government officials. As the crowds chanted and waved placards, the roads leading to the Shrine of Imam Reza were a sea of black-clad mourners. Hoses pumped water high into the air to keep them cool in the sweltering July heat. Khamenei's remains, along with those of four family members killed alongside him, have already been paraded through Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala. The funeral comes at a critical moment for Iran, as the country turns the page on nearly four decades of Khamenei's rule. The legacy of the late Supreme Leader is bitter, with his reign marked by authoritarianism and repression. The Islamic Republic's clerical leaders are encouraging huge crowds to attend the funeral to vaunt the might and ideological fire of their theocratic state. Iran faces huge internal challenges, including widespread damage to its economy and infrastructure. The country's economy has been throttled by sanctions, and the people are angry. The funeral ceremony was marked by chants of 'Khamenei is alive!' and 'Death to America', as the mourners demanded revenge on the US President. The single sharpest fact is that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death has sparked protests in Iran, with mourners chanting 'Death to America' and waving placards reading 'Kill Trump'. The burial ceremony was attended by thousands of mourners, including senior clerics and government officials. Khamenei's remains have been paraded through Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala.