Yerevan [Armenia], July 5 (ANI): Iran on Sunday strongly criticised US President Donald Trump after he claimed he could eliminate the nation's senior leadership gathered at the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 'one shot.'

In a sharp retort, the Iranian Embassy in Armenia targeted both Trump and the United States in a post on X. The embassy noted that the US, which observed its 250th Independence Day on July 4, would fail to comprehend the massive wave of grief following Khamenei's death, as it 'neither has a civilisation, history, nor honour.'

https://x.com/iraninyerevan/status/2073471905449803992?s=20

'People can be killed, but ideals cannot. You killed Ayatollah Khamenei, but in reality, you broke a perfume bottle whose scent spread everyplace,' the diplomatic mission stated, pointing to the immense turnouts at the late leader's funeral.

The embassy's reaction followed an interview Trump gave to Axios, in which he expressed astonishment at the thousands of Iranians participating in the funeral processions.

'I thought people hated Khamenei. Maybe it's fake tears,' Trump said.

The US President went on to assert that Washington possesses the capability to neutralise Iran's surviving top officials with 'one shot' if it desired, but specified that the US would hold back to keep the door open for diplomatic talks with Tehran.

'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,' Trump was quoted as saying by Axios.

The late leader is currently lying in state in Tehran, where crowds of mourners, alongside international dignitaries, are arriving to pay their final respects. The former Supreme Leader, who died following a US-Israeli air strike on February 28, is scheduled to be buried in Mashhad on July 9 after a week of ceremonial processions through Tehran, Qom, Najaf, and Karbala.

The expansive funeral, organised by the Iranian establishment to project domestic solidarity and defiance amid escalating regional tensions, has attracted significant gatherings. Thousands of people have been seen weeping, chanting slogans, and beating their chests in keeping with Shiite mourning practices.

Simultaneously, the entire event has been imbued with deep political meaning. The coffins, positioned on a white stepped dais beneath a highly decorated arched backdrop, remain flanked by black mourning banners and Iranian national flags, underscoring the twin religious and political significance of the occasion.

Khamenei's death in an enemy strike has further deepened the narrative of martyrdom that remains central to Shiite history, where public processions, ritual lamentation, and collective expressions of grief serve as potent symbols of shared resistance. (ANI)