Iranian officials appear publicly at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei funeral as crowds call for revenge

Iranian media and international reports said senior Iranian officials and brothers of the newly named supreme leader appeared in public during funeral prayers in Tehran for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, projecting confidence in their safety as the Islamic Republic enters the next phase of its leadership transition. The funeral ceremonies, held at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque, also drew massive crowds, with chants calling for revenge following a Feb. 28 attack that Iranian authorities said killed Khamenei, the outlet reported.

According to reporting summarized by multiple outlets, the public appearance was both a display of internal unity and a message to external actors as Iran pressed demands tied to control of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil and shipping passes. PBS NewsHour reported that Iran previously shut down parts of the strait during the war, linking the current posture to negotiating leverage for a permanent end to the conflict.

Crowd behavior described by reports included explicit calls for retaliation and, in some cases, calls directed at U.S. leadership. One report cited wall messages and chants at the ceremonies, including a public call for killing then-U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside broader slogans demanding revenge tied to the Feb. 28 attack.

Some hard-liners also urged actions against the United States in connection with the funeral, according to reports circulated by U.S. media partners. The reporting indicated that Iranian leaders sought to maintain order and visible continuity during a period when many foreign governments monitor Iran closely for signs of retaliation or escalation.

The ceremonies unfolded over several days, and reports noted that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, identified as the new supreme leader, had not yet appeared in public during the process. The Guardian reported that Mojtaba remained absent from public view, while his three brothers stood beside their father’s coffin, reflecting the continued sensitivity around his whereabouts and security.

Separately, other reporting said some countries reduced or withdrew participation in the funeral in response to U.S. pressure. The Economic Times, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency, reported that 13 nations either withdrew or reduced participation, describing the diplomatic and security calculations that governments are weighing around high-level Iranian events.

Beyond the immediate funeral process, the public appearances and the crowd rhetoric were treated by outlets as part of Iran’s broader messaging posture in contemporaneous negotiations with the United States over terms to end the war. The question going forward is whether Iran’s leadership transition will translate into specific, verifiable steps in the talks, or whether the ceremonies will be followed by heightened threats, economic pressure, and security warnings tied to the strait.