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‘One shot and we can take them all’: Trump says US could strike Iran’s leadership at Khamenei’s funeral

‘One shot and we can take them all’: Trump says US could strike Iran’s leadership at Khamenei’s funeral

Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on July 5, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)

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US President Donald Trump claimed the US could eliminate Iran's remaining leadership "in one shot" but chose negotiations instead. He also said both sides paused hostilities during Ali Khamenei's funeral.

US President Donald Trump threatened that the United States could eliminate Iran’s remaining leadership “with one shot” during the gathering at the funeral ceremonies of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. He added that Washington would refrain from doing so because it would leave no one to negotiate with. This comes as large crowds participated in the funeral attended by senior Iranian leaders. Representatives from several other countries also joined the ceremonies.

“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...They are begging to make a deal,” Trump told Axios.

The funeral began on July 4, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Ceremonies are scheduled across several cities, including Qom, before concluding with Khamenei's burial in Mashhad on July 9. Large crowds have gathered across Iran, making the event one of the world's most closely watched developments.

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Trump also reacted to images of mourners, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, appearing emotional during the ceremonies. Saying he believed many Iranians disliked Khamenei, Trump questioned whether the public grief was genuine, remarking that the tears could be “fake.”

Trump also claimed that both sides had agreed to pause talks for a week for the funeral. He also said that neither side would attack as Khamenei's funeral ceremonies were underway.

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Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, was killed on February 28 after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, setting off a wider regional conflict. Because of the wartime situation, Iran delayed his burial despite Islamic tradition favouring funerals within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, reports citing Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, Mojtaba Khamenei’s representative in India, said Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, would not attend the funeral because of security concerns and the threat of possible Israeli targeting.

Iran prepared for mass deaths at funeral

According to a report by a Germany’s WELT, Iranian authorities are preparing for 1,500 to 3,000 deaths during the funeral ceremonies of the late leader. The report, written by an anonymous journalist in Tehran, said that officials have prepared for contingency plans for a possible mass-casualty disaster during the event.

Watch | Khamenei Funeral: Iran's Intel Ministry Vows To Avenge Late Supreme Leader's Blood

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Prajvi Mathur

Prajvi Mathur is a Sub-Editor at WION with over 2 years of experience in journalism and digital content. With a keen interest in geopolitics and national affairs, she covers a wide...Read More