– “I thought people hate him” : Trump
Sola Popoola
Iran hosted the largest funeral in recorded history as millions of mourners gathered in Tehran to pay their final respects to the country’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Reports indicated that authorities recorded an unprecedented turnout, with estimates suggesting the funeral could have attracted about 20 million mourners / participants. While exact attendance figures remain unverified, news reports describe the gathering as one of the largest ever witnessed for a state funeral.
Notably, no major Western heads of state or government attended the funeral, and Iran said” it did not formally invite European countries”.
As part of the funeral protocol, Iranian authorities reportedly assigned carefully selected verses from the Quran to be recited as different international delegations stood before Khamenei’s coffin. The verses were said to have been chosen specifically for each delegation rather than at random.
A symbolic highlight of the event was the establishment of a protocol by the Iranian authority that includes reciting a Quranic verse for every delegation standing before Khamenei’s coffin.
Among those highlighted were verses for delegations from Saudi Arabia, Iraqi tribal leaders, Türkiye, the Lebanese government, Hezbollah and Hamas, with each passage reflecting themes of faith, loyalty, sacrifice or perseverance according to the organisers.
It is noteworthy that these verses were not chosen randomly, but with precise selection.
Verse for the Saudi delegation:
{You had a sign in two groups that encountered each other; one group fighting in the way of Allah, and another disbelieving. They saw them twice as many as themselves with the sight of the eye. And Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed, in that is a lesson for those of vision.}
Aal-E-Imran: 13.
Verse for the delegation of Iraqi tribal sheikhs:
{O Prophet, fear Allah and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.}
Al-Ahzab: 1.
Verse for the Turkish delegation:
{Allah has preferred the mujahideen among them with their wealth and their lives over those who remained behind [in Medina] by a degree. And to both Allah has promised the best [reward]. But Allah has preferred the mujahideen over those who remained behind with a great reward.}
An-Nisa: 95.
Verse for the Lebanese government delegation:
{And if We had decreed upon them, “Kill yourselves” or “Leave your homes,” they would not have done it, except for a few of them. But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a more firm strengthening [of faith].}
An-Nisa: 66.
Verse for the Hezbollah delegation:
{Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed—those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship]. And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed—then indeed, the party of Allah—they are the successful.}
Al-Ma’idah: 55–56.
Verse for the Hamas movement delegation:
{Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow to the death, and among them is he who awaits his chance. And they did not alter the terms of their commitment.}
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the massive turnout during the mourning ceremonies.
Speaking about images from Tehran, Trump said, “I thought people hated him,” before adding that “maybe it’s fake tears.” His remarks have drawn international attention amid the large-scale funeral ceremonies taking place across Iran.
The funeral has attracted senior Iranian officials, regional allies and foreign delegations, with ceremonies expected to continue over several days as Iran bids farewell to the leader who headed the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.
World leaders issued sharply different reactions to Khomeini ‘s killing:
Vladimir Putin condemned the killing as a “cynical murder” and said it violated international law. He sent condolences to Iran’s leadership.
Xi Jinping, through China’s Foreign Ministry, strongly condemned the attack, calling it a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Donald Trump described Khamenei as “one of the most evil people in history” and said his death presented an opportunity for the Iranian people to determine their future.
Ursula von der Leyen said Khamenei’s death could offer renewed hope for the Iranian people but warned that it also risked further instability in the Middle East.
Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences, referring to Khamenei as a martyr and offering sympathy to the Iranian people.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was saddened by Khamenei’s death and called for continued diplomatic efforts to restore regional peace.
Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the killing, saying justice had been served and describing it as a major blow to Iran’s leadership.
Keir Starmer, alongside the leaders of France and Germany, emphasized de-escalation and said the Iranian people should be allowed to determine their own future..
Among the most prominent leaders and senior officials who attended or were officially represented at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral were:
Shehbaz Sharif – Prime Minister of Pakistan
Asim Munir – Pakistan’s Army Chief
Emomali Rahmon – President of Tajikistan
Nikol Pashinyan – Prime Minister of Armenia
Mikheil Kavelashvili – President of Georgia
Dmitry Medvedev – Representing Vladimir Putin
He Wei – Representing China
Cevdet Yılmaz – Vice President of Türkiye
Amir Khan Muttaqi – Representing Afghanistan
Abdul Ghani Baradar
Pabitra Margherita – Representing India
Syed Ata Hasnain – Member of India’s delegation
Hafizuddin Ahmed – Representing Bangladesh �
Other countries that reportedly sent official delegations included:Iraq, Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan,Turkmenistan,Oman
Qatar, Belarus,Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.Othets were :Egypt,Ghana, Serbia,Cuba,Nicaragua,Democratic Republic of the Congo,Tunisia,Lebanon and Namibia.
Sri Lanka,Myanmar,The Gambia and Thailand, along with representatives of regional organizations.
Based on official statements issued after the death of Ali Khamenei, no major Western government sent a formal state condolence message to Iran. Instead, most Western countries either remained silent, called for restraint, or focused on regional security.
Russia is not a Western country, but President Vladimir Putin sent official condolences to Iran.