Iranian civilians mourning the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran vented their rage at the United States and its government officials on Monday, holding up posters of President Donald Trump and others while calling for their deaths.
During a funeral procession for Khamenei, women in black clothing lifted placards which read, “KILL TRUMP” in large black letters. Other posters showed the faces of Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inside crosshairs. The phrase “There will be blood” was written on the posters.
Members of the crowd hurled stones at a billboard that pictured President Trump with a bullet aimed at his head. The caption read, “The U.S. killed our father. We won’t let you go!”
One mourner who attended the funeral told reporters, “Today that we are here for the funeral for our leader, it’s a very tough day. We are not here to say goodbye to him; we are here for revenge. And we will take revenge.”
Video footage circulating on social media also showed pictures of social media influencer Laura Loomer, an ardent supporter of Israel and critic of Muslims.
Khamenei supporters held up photos with a target hit list at his funeral including of President Trump and Laura Loomer@DHSgov needs to make sure none of these people are ever allowed into our country pic.twitter.com/XPpMv2dlq5
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 6, 2026
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes killed Khamenei on February 28 in a barrage that marked the start of the war with Iran. His funeral was delayed for months because of the military hostilities and security concerns.
State ceremonies began in early July. The largest procession occurred in Tehran on Monday, with Iranian state media claiming millions of participants in the event.
However, it’s worth noting that the Iranian regime routinely stages large public events to make it appear as if the majority of the nation’s citizens support the government. Officials arrange cheap bus fare, free meals, and low-cost housing to entice more people to attend.
The government also pushes schools, government offices, and private businesses to send groups of workers or students to inflate crowd sizes. Many of the same people attend these rallies because they belong to groups that receive favor from the regime. Others fear retribution if they fail to participate.
Still, there is a small number of Iranians who genuinely support the regime. These tend to be religious people who view the supreme leader as a divine figure. Families of those in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other areas of leadership typically support the regime.
Many Iranians have grown fed up with their government and did not support Khamenei or his successor. In the months leading up to the war, Iranians were engaged in the largest protests against the government in recent memory.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest against the government’s economic policies and human rights violations. The regime responded with a major crackdown that resulted in the murders and arrests of thousands of people.
One housewife told Reuters why she did not attend the funeral. “Why should I be part of their staged show? Instead of such funerals, think about people’s economic problems. We are suffering,” she said.
Analyst noted that only about 15 to 20 percent of Iran’s population actually supports the Islamic hardliners.
Washington and Tehran are currently in a ceasefire after the two sides agreed to a memorandum of understanding that resulted in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
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