Thousands of Iranians packed a large mosque in the heart of Tehran to mourn the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died in a US-Israeli strike in February – as America celebrated its 250th birthday half a world away.
The angry mourners held signs calling for President Trump’s assassination and called for retribution as they kicked off a dayslong public ceremony for the slain 89-year-old at the Grand Mosalla in the Iranian capital.
“Our word is one. Revenge! Revenge!” some in attendance shouted.
Khamenei’s body – hidden since he was killed in the February 28th airstrikes on his compound in Tehran – was held in a casket decorated with the Iranian flag and placed inside a glass box.
A black turban was placed on top to identify him as a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
Accompanying Khamenei on stage were the caskets of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter, all of whom were killed in the airstrike.
Khamenei’s son, newly anointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, was not in attendance.
The younger Khamenei, deemed “probably gay” by US intelligence assessment, has not been seen since the deadly strikes reportedly left him seriously injured or even disfigured.
Trump has called the 56-year-old “more rational” than his father.
The stage erected for the public funeral was created to resemble the one Khamenei often used during his addresses at his now-destroyed Tehran compound.
The crowds are projected to be the largest since Iranians took to the streets in December and January to protest living conditions in the country.
Iranian authorities are expecting as many as 10 million to 15 million to take part in the multi-day memorial ceremonies honoring Khamenei.
Officials who were “afraid and weak” delayed services for months due to security concerns, experts said.
The ceremonies coincide with July 4th celebrations in the US — amid the fragile peace talks over a deal to end the 109-day Iran war.
President Donald Trump said the US gave Iran “the week” off as it commenced the mourning period for Khamenei.
“We knocked the hell out of Iran and they’re dying to settle,” Trump said during a speech at Mount Rushmore Friday night. “We gave them a week off for a funeral, isn’t that nice.”
The US and Iran have been in fledgling peace talks as the Trump administration tries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while ensuring Tehran doesn’t develop a nuclear weapon.
State funeral services were set to begin in the prayer hall of Imam Khomenei — the founder of the Islamic Republic in 1979 — before a funeral procession will leave on July 6. Dozens died in stampedes at Khomenei’s 1989 funeral, where as many as 10 million people gathered.
Khamenei was appointed Supreme Leader after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
He helped form the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, which hold enormous sway in Iran and are credited with orchestrating attacks on its neighbors and funding terror proxy groups abroad.
A state newspaper carried threats against the US in his name as recently as Monday.
Another service is set for July 7 in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, with a burial set for July 9 in Khamenei’s hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad.
Khamenei will be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza, a holy place for Shiite Muslims.
Huge banners of Khamenei could be seen in the days leading up to the funeral at the sprawling Grand Mosalla in Tehran, home to the city’s Friday prayers.
Dozens of foreign leaders gathered on Friday, although the US did not send a representative.
The dignitaries included the chief Iranian negotiators, Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Khamenei’s rule included violent crackdowns that killed thousands of Iranians in the last year, and the development of a series of secret underground nuclear facilities.
With Post wires
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