The Leader’s funeral or a referendum?

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the supreme leader of the Shia world, sacrificed himself for the sake of truth and the exaltation of Islam, following the tradition of his forefathers. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was martyred on February 28—the first day of attacks launched against Iran by the United States and Israel—along with some members of his family. Several high-ranking Iranian military commanders and advisors were also martyred alongside them, including Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, and Major General Mohammad Pakpour. The funeral prayers for the martyrs were offered at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran. High-ranking government officials attended the funeral prayer, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, and the three sons of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei—Masoud Khamenei, Meysam Khamenei, and Mostafa Khamenei. Following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the circles of disbelief are gripped by trembling. The funeral of the martyr caused further distress for the opponents. This funeral was no ordinary funeral; rather, it was a referendum, He who, in the present age, drew a clear line of demarcation between truth and falsehood, proving that—once again—it is those who sacrifice their lives who emerge victorious, while the living are merely corpses and the walking dead. For the first time, in an interview with the US news website “Axios,” US President Donald Trump had to admit: “Seeing people weeping, I realized that people love him [Seyyed Ali Khamenei]; I had thought people hated him.” This is perhaps the first funeral in the world attended by 25 to 30 million people, according to neutral observers. High-ranking government and political representatives, heads of state, and foreign ministers from over 120 countries around the world attended this funeral prayer. Official delegations from numerous countries participated, including Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, Cuba, Serbia, Tunisia, Congo, Ghana, Namibia, Myanmar, Thailand, The Gambia, and Nicaragua. Security force deployments were increased in anticipation of the arrival of high-ranking officials and religious and political figures from various countries, and it was explicitly made clear to Trump that any foolish attempt to attack the funeral would be met with an immediate and extremely severe response. That is why Trump also issued a statement saying that a ceasefire was agreed upon with Iran to allow time for the funeral prayers to be performed. Meanwhile, Donald Trump also mentioned Iran in his speech marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. Addressing the event—which was delayed by several hours due to a storm—President Trump stated that the United States is the greatest achievement of human civilization and is now, under his leadership, at the pinnacle of its glory. The US President also referred to Iran and stated that we have destroyed Iran’s military power. If there were an award in the world for lying, Donald Trump would be the true recipient of it. Donald Trump would certainly receive the “award” for being the world’s most prolific liar among rulers. If they claim that the US has destroyed Iran’s military might, then why are they begging for agreements and negotiations with a devastated country? Trump, who appears ready to concede to every demand of Iran, also does not shy away from lying. The most striking sight at the funeral prayer led by Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was the “red flags,” which symbolize vengeance. Following the funeral prayer, slogans calling for retribution and revenge for the blood of Sayyid Ali Khamenei were also raised during the ceremony. Along with the youth, the elderly and women also appeared highly enthusiastic about this matter, and everyone voiced the same demand: “We will avenge this blood.” Iranians are a patient people; they do not get provoked, they make decisions with composure and a cool head, and their decisions compel the opposing party to yield. It was precisely this Iranian strategy that compelled Trump to clash with Netanyahu. Pro-Israel circles in the US have now de-escalated the situation, and it is expected that Netanyahu will soon visit the White House to meet Donald Trump and resolve the matter. Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif led the delegation from Pakistan to attend the funeral prayer, while other high-ranking officials—including Field Marshal General Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Mohsin Naqvi, Attaullah Tarar, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah—were also part of the delegation. The Pakistani delegation offered condolences to Iranian officials and assured them of full cooperation. Meanwhile, the public participated in the funeral prayers carrying red flags and demanded retribution against the killers. In response, Iranian military commander Major General Amir Hatami had to issue a statement declaring that those who martyred the Supreme Leader must realize that the Iranian nation and armed forces will by no means hold back from bringing them to justice and exacting a reckoning from them. Major General Amir Hatami stated that the martyred Supreme Leader had charted the path of honor, dignity, freedom, and greatness, and had also laid all the necessary foundations to guide the nation along this path. He stated that they are proud to have worked under the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei and will continue to serve under the leadership of the new Supreme Leader in the future. Only time will tell what strategy Iran adopts to avenge its martyrs; however, Iran has succeeded in garnering global support, whereas the desolation surrounding America’s 250th independence celebrations serves as proof that the very nation which sought to isolate Iran has itself become isolated on the world stage.