US President Donald Trump said he was surprised to see large crowds mourning at the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claiming he had believed many Iranians hated the late supreme leader.
"Maybe it's fake tears," Trump told Axios.
He also suggested that the gathering of Iran's top leadership at the funeral presented a military opportunity for the United States but said he would not act because of ongoing diplomatic efforts.
"They are all there. One shot [and we can take them all out], but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with," he was quoted as saying by Axios.
Iran responded sharply to Trump's remarks, arguing that ideals cannot be destroyed by killing individuals.
"You killed Ayatollah Khamenei, but in reality, you broke a perfume bottle whose scent spread everywhere. You don't understand these things because you have neither civilization, nor history, nor honor," Iran's embassy in Yerevan wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a significantly larger crowd attended Sunday's funeral ceremony than the previous day's events. Mourners dressed in black walked to the burial site carrying banners and flags honouring Khamenei, while some also chanted slogans calling for Trump's death.
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades, was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28. His funeral, delayed for months because of the war, is expected to pave the way for his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, to formally assume the role of supreme leader.
The leadership transition comes at a critical time as Iran seeks to use its influence over the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States aimed at securing a permanent end to the conflict.
