Trump says ‘one shot’ could eliminate Iran’s leadership during Khamenei funeral
Trump claimed the remaining Iranian leadership could be taken out with "one shot" but said he would not do so because there would be "no one left" to negotiate with
US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying the remaining leadership in the country could be wiped out with just “one shot” while commenting on the funeral ceremonies of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He added, however, that he would not take such a step because there would be “no one left” to negotiate with.
“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.
Trump also claimed that both sides had agreed to pause the talks for a week until the ceremonies surrounding Khamenei’s funeral were over. During this period, he said, neither side would launch an attack on the other.
Also read | Trump says US gave Iran a 'week off' for Khamenei's funeral
Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, was killed on February 28, the day the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, setting off a war in the Middle East. Questions over the timing of his final rites had been circulating since March. Although Islamic tradition generally requires the dead to be buried as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours, the ongoing war made this an exception.
Iran began Khamenei’s funeral on July 4, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The ceremonies include events in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, on July 7, along with other religious observances. The funeral will conclude on July 9 with Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad, the holy city in northeastern Iran.
Millions of Iranians have gathered on the streets, turning the funeral into one of the world's most closely watched events.
On Saturday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were seen in tears during the farewell ceremony for the former Iranian Supreme Leader.
Reacting to the scenes, Trump said he was surprised to see Iranians crying at the funeral, adding that he had believed people “hated” Khamenei. “Maybe it’s fake tears,” he said.
Earlier, Trump had said the US gave Iran a “week off” for the funeral.
“We beat Venezuela in one day, and we knocked the hell out of Iran; they’re dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave him a week off for a funeral because we’re nice,” he said.