"Death to Trump" Chant Erupts at Khamenei's Funeral as 30 Million Mourners Flood Tehran — Key Son Missing on Day Two

The funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike in February, began on Saturday with massive crowds gathering at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque [188980][188668]. Authorities anticipate between 15 and 30 million participants in Tehran alone over the next several days [188668][188980]. The ceremonies will stretch across five cities in two countries, including a final procession to Mashhad [189420][188910].

On Sunday, the second day of the funeral, a poet performing before hundreds of thousands of mourners called for the death of US President Donald Trump — the first direct call for Trump’s killing by an emcee at the event [189731]. Posters and graffiti at the funeral also demanded the deaths of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [189731]. Mourners chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as emotions ran high [188980].

However, the most notable absence was Mojtaba Khamenei, the son who succeeded his father as Iran’s supreme leader. Three of Khamenei’s other sons appeared in public for the first time in months, but Mojtaba’s whereabouts remain unclear [189878].

Dignitaries from more than 100 countries have arrived to pay respects, while no Western states are attending [188621][188910]. Representatives from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthi movement were among the tens of thousands packed into the Grand Mosalla Mosque on Saturday [189347]. Turkey sent a delegation led by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz [188910].

Security forces have locked down major cities to prevent unrest during the high-profile gatherings [188621]. The massive turnout is seen as a show of defiance to the US and Israel, even as Iran fights a costly war against both nations [189420][188980].