TEHRAN, Iran (AP) 鈥� A performer at the funeral for Iran’s late called for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people Sunday in the capital, Tehran.
The comment represents the first, direct call for Trump’s death by an emcee at the funeral, which has seen posters and graffiti calling for the killing of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That’s been a hard-line demand even as Tehran negotiates with the U.S. over a permanent end to the war that’s .
Mohammad Rasouli, a poet, drew calls of 鈥淒eath to America!鈥� and 鈥淒eath to Israel!鈥�
Speaking to the crowd over loudspeakers at the funeral, Rasouli asked, referring to Trump: 鈥淲hy is the most bastard man in the world still alive?鈥�
The question drew cheers from the crowd, and again when Rasouli said that 鈥渢he world is no longer a good place for鈥� Trump.
Larger crowd attends second day of Khamenei’s funeral
A far-larger crowd for the funeral than the day before attended the ceremony Sunday. Mourners dressed in black walked to the site, carrying banners and flags honoring Khamenei and also calling for Trump’s killing as the American president gave a speech in Washington for .
鈥淲e鈥檝e had tremendous success,鈥� Trump said, speaking of the American military. 鈥淵ou look at Venezuela, you look at Iran. We wiped it out, wiped out their military.鈥�
U.S. federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other administration officials for years. That stems from Trump ordering the 2020 , who led the expeditionary Quds Force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Iran repeatedly has denied plotting to kill Trump, though hard-line propaganda footage long has .
Trump meanwhile during the war among a variety of other threats.
Khamenei’s funeral puts talks with US on hold
The funeral for Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades before he was in a Feb. 28 airstrike in the opening moments of the , could provide a boost for the country鈥檚 theocracy and its new supreme leader, his son .
That is important as Iran tries to leverage its hold on in negotiations with the U.S. over a permanent end to the war and as concern lingers that Israel could attack again.
The funeral was delayed as the war raged, and talks are on hold until it is over.
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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