Washington:U.S. President Donald Trump has said he was surprised by the large public turnout at the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the scale of mourning differed from what he had expected.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said, “I thought people hated him. But I was surprised to see so many people mourning.”
Trump also claimed that the United States had the capability to target those attending the funeral but said such an action would leave “no one left to negotiate with,” underscoring his view that diplomacy remains necessary despite tensions between the two countries.
According to Trump, Washington and Tehran have agreed to temporarily pause direct engagement until the funeral proceedings are concluded.
He further said that neither side would carry out attacks against the other during the period of mourning.
On Saturday, large crowds gathered in Tehran to attend the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ceremony drew mourners from across the country, many of whom expressed grief over his death as well as anger toward the United States and its allies.
Participants described Khamenei’s death as a profound national loss, while some attendees voiced calls for retaliation against those they believe were responsible for the attack.
