Anti-American Slogans Echo at Khamenei’s Funeral as Iran Shifts Military Strategy

June 21, Kathmandu – Unprecedented crowds have gathered on the streets of Tehran for the state funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reports from Iranian media indicate. On the first day of the six-day funeral rites, millions of mourners assembled early Saturday morning at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Musalla mosque for a final viewing. The coffins of Khamenei and other family members killed in the February 28 attack were draped in Iranian flags and placed on the stage. Thousands of attendees became emotional as they paid tribute, many shedding tears.

Amid the mourning, an agitated crowd repeatedly chanted slogans such as “Death to America” and “God’s wrath upon Israel,” while holding protest posters. Authorities estimate this to be the largest gathering in Iran’s recent history, with participation expected to reach between 15 to 20 million over the entire weeklong event.

Khamenei’s funeral procession will commence in Tehran on July 6. His body will then be taken to Qom on July 7, followed by visits in Najaf and Karbala in Iraq on July 8, before finally being interred with full state honors at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, on July 9. Among the twelve revered Imams in Shia Islam, only the eighth Imam, Imam Reza, is buried within Iranian territory; the rest are buried in Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Imam Reza was buried at this site after being poisoned by a former ruler, a location now called Mashhad—meaning “place of martyrdom.” This shrine is regarded as the third most sacred site for Shia Muslims after Mecca, Medina, and Karbala.

During this sensitive period, Iran has temporarily suspended indirect peace talks with the United States. Additionally, Tehran has explicitly denied international inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency access to its critical nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump asserted that America has allowed Iran a one-week “humanitarian” window to complete the funeral proceedings. He claimed that once this period ends, Iran will have to comply with US conditions.

Following Khamenei’s death, Iran has initiated a comprehensive shift in its security and military strategy under the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Tehran appears poised to adopt a significantly more aggressive stance than before. Geopolitical analysts note that although the US and Israel failed to effect regime change in Iran, the country has nonetheless undergone a marked strategic transformation. Tehran has embraced a policy of leveraging the Strait of Hormuz as its primary instrument of pressure, delivering a clear message: “If peace is not maintained in Iran, the world’s vital oil supply will also be disrupted.” (With agency contributions)