TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s top officials and brothers of the country’s new supreme leader emerged into public view Sunday to attend the funeral prayers for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaling a new confidence in their safety as calls grew for the killing of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Their presence before hundreds of thousands of people in the capital Tehran would have been unthinkable during the Iran war, which saw airstrikes in its opening moments on Feb. 28 kill the 86-year-old Khamenei, his family members and other officials.

kAmxDC26= 2=D@ E2C86E65 @E96CD H9@ 2AA62C65 AF3=:4=J 5FC:?8 E96 H2C[ 😕 2E =62DE @?6 42D6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C2?\FD\:DC26=\H2C\=2C:;2?:\32D:;\D64FC:EJ\AC@E6DED\2b`bc_fhcba2fa__`g_ceh6c_h2c7526Qm=:<6=J FD:?8 E96:C AF3=:4 2AA62C2?46k^2m E@ 7:I E96:C A@D:E:@? 7@C 2 DEC:<6]k^Am

kAmqFE DE:== F?D66? H2D xC2?’D ?6H DFAC6>6 =6256C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C2?\F?:E65\DE2E6D\:DC26=\DFAC6>6\=6256C\>@;E232\<92>6?6:\a_h464_be_eg3c_747432a36f24f6a3_QmpJ2E@==29 |@;E232 z92>6?6:k^2m] w6 😀 36=:6G65 E@ 36 😕 9:5:?8 27E6C C6A@CE65=J 36:?8 H@F?565 😕 E96 2:CDEC:<6 E92E <:==65 9:D 72E96C] xDC26= 92D E9C62E6?65 E@ <:== 9:> 2D H6== 2D 96 =625D 2 E96@4C24J ?@H ?68@E:2E:?8 H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @G6C 2 A6C>2?6?E 6?5 E@ E96 H2C 2?5 @G6C xC2? DEC2?8=:?8 EC277:4 E9C@F89 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:55=6\62DE\H2CD\6?6C8J\2D:2\82D\4@2=\4ddd266h7d45dadba7`76_6fgcd5d6gfQm5:DCFAE:?8 8=@32= 6?6C8J DFAA=:6Dk^2m]k^Am

kAm+:32 }256C:[ 2 ca\J62C\@=5 ?FCD6 2EE6?5:?8 E96 7F?6C2= $F?52J[ D2:5 xC2? ?66565 E@ 7@==@H H92E6G6C |@;E232 z92>6?6: 4@>>2?5D 😕 C682C5D E@ E96 ?2E:@?]k^Am

kAm“x 962C5 E96 42== 7@C C6G6?86[ 3FE @FC =6256C D9@F=5 D2J H92E H6 ?665 E@ 5@[” D96 D2:5] “p?5 H6 >FDE =:DE6? E@ 9:>]”k^Am

k9amuF?6C2= :?4=F56D AC2J6CD 2?5 42==D 7@C C6G6?86k^9am

kAmpJ2E@==29 y272C $@392?:[ 2 hf\J62C\@=5 $9::E6 4=6C:4[ =65 E96 AC2J6CD 2E %69C2?VD vC2?5 |@D2==2 7@C z92>6?6: 2?5 9:D =2E6 72>:=J >6>36CD]k^Am

kAm~? 92?5 H6C6 z92>6?6:’D D@?D |2D@F5[ |6JD2> 2?5 |@DE272[ H9@ 92G6?VE 366? D66? D:?46 E96 H2C] #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5 9625 v6?] p9>25 ’29:5:[ H9@ @?=J 925 366? A9@E@8C2A965 7@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2=:\<92>6?6:\7F?6C2=\DFAC6>6\=6256C\:C2?\FD\H2C\;F=J\b\a_ae\ddc5c7_d7cb6333ge7g`ga`63`g4_hafQmE96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 E96 H2C @? %9FCD52Jk^2m[ 4@F=5 36 D66? 😕 E96 4C@H5 3J pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD ;@FC?2=:DED[ 7=2?<65 3J A=2:?4=@E96D D64FC:EJ 7@C46D 2D 96 H@C6 2 3=24< 32D632== 42A]k^Am

kAmxC2?’D !C6D:56?E |2D@F5 !6K6D9<:2?[ !2C=:2>6?E DA62<6C |@92>>25 q2896C “2=:327 2?5 tD>2:= “22?:[ H9@ =625D E96 vF2C5’D 6IA65:E:@?2CJ “F5D u@C46[ 2=D@ 2EE6?565]k^Am

kAm%96:C 2AA62C2?46D 42>6 2D A@DE6CD 2?5 8C277:E: 2E E96 vC2?5 |@D2==2 42==65 7@C E96 <:==:?8 @7 %CF>A 2?5 xDC26=: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C q6?;2>:? }6E2?J29F]k^Am

kAm|@92>>25 #2D@F=:[ 2 A@6E H9@ 6>4665 E96 6G6?E AC:@C E@ E96 AC2J6CD[ 5C6H 42==D @7 “s62E9 E@ p>6C:42P” 2?5 “s62E9 E@ xDC26=P”k^Am

kAm$A62<:?8 E@ E96 4C@H5 @G6C =@F5DA62<6CD 2E E96 7F?6C2=[ #2D@F=: 2D<65[ C676CC:?8 E@ %CF>A[ “(9J 😀 E96 >@DE 32DE2C5 >2? 😕 E96 H@C=5 DE:== 2=:G6n”k^Am

kAm%96 BF6DE:@? 5C6H 4966CD 7C@> E96 4C@H5[ 2?5 282:? H96? #2D@F=: D2:5 “E96 H@C=5 😀 ?@ =@?86C 2 8@@5 A=246 7@C” %CF>A] xE >2C<65 E96 7:CDE[ 5:C64E E9C62E E@ %CF>AVD =:76 3J 2? @77:4:2= 5FC:?8 E96 7F?6C2=]k^Am

k9am%CF>A E9C62ED 8C@H 2E 7F?6C2=k^9am

kAm%96 p>6C:42? AC6D:56?E H2D 8:G:?8 2 DA6649 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 24C@DD E96 H@C=5 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ 7@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2>6C:42\ad_\H66<6?5\962E\F?:E65\DE2E6D\`6627a`6h`65dgbdhde“ad`ech53hb6QmE96 ad_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 p>6C:42VD 7@F?5:?8k^2m]k^Am

kAm“(6’G6 925 EC6>6?5@FD DF446DD[” %CF>A D2:5 23@FE E96 &]$] >:=:E2CJ] “*@F =@@< 2E ‘6?6KF6=2[ J@F =@@< 2E xC2?] (6 H:A65 :E @FE[ H:A65 @FE E96:C >:=:E2CJ]”k^Am

kAmp 72C\=2C86C 4C@H5 7@C E96 7F?6C2= E92? E96 52J 367@C6 2EE6?565 $F?52J] |@FC?6CD 5C6DD65 😕 3=24< H2=<65 E@ E96 D:E6[ 42CCJ:?8 32??6CD 2?5 7=28D 9@?@C:?8 z92>6?6: 2?5 2=D@ 42==:?8 7@C %CF>AVD <:==:?8]k^Am

kAm“x 42>6 96C6 E@ D9@FE 2?5 D66< C6G6?86[” D2:5 v9@=2>C6K2 $23@@?:[ ah\J62C\@=5 >2? H9@ H@C2>[ H6 D9@F=5 <:== E96:C =6256C[ %CF>A]”k^Am

kAm&]$] 7656C2= 2FE9@C:E:6D 92G6 366? EC24<:?8 xC2?:2? E9C62ED 282:?DE %CF>A 2?5 @E96C 25>:?:DEC2E:@? @77:4:2=D 7@C J62CD] %92E DE6>D 7C@> %CF>A @C56C:?8 E96 a_a_ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2A\E@A\?6HD\E69C2?\:?E6C?2E:@?2=\?6HD\:C2B\2=:\<92>6?6:\ddhf77_7_ce2efg_d44abb5dhbb2db65Qm<:==:?8 @7 v6?] “2DD6> $@=6:>2?:k^2m[ H9@ 925 =65 E96 “F5D u@C46] xC2? C6A62E65=J 92D 56?:65 A=@EE:?8 E@ <:== %CF>A[ E9@F89 92C5\=:?6 AC@A282?52 7@@E286 =@?8 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:55=6\62DE\:C2?\5@?2=5\ECF>A\>2C\2\=28@\3289525\`efa6hfce_ef7h6g`d`2f3aa6ehged3gQmDF886DE65 %CF>A H2D 😕 %69C2?VD 4C@DD92:CDk^2m]k^Am

kAm%CF>A >62?H9:=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\:C2?\E9C62ED\4:G:=:K2E:@?\H2C\4C:>6D\fdg63d45eg_5f5afd4c6`4bg3a6_`6e5QmAC@>:D65 E@ 56DEC@J xC2?VD G6CJ 4:G:=:K2E:@?k^2m 5FC:?8 E96 H2C 2>@?8 2 G2C:6EJ @7 @E96C E9C62ED]k^Am

k9amuF?6C2= A@DEA@?6D E2=

kAmz92>6?6:’D 3@5J H:== 36 EC2?DA@CE65 E@ 4:E:6D 😕 xC2? 2?5 ?6:893@C:?8 xC2B[ H:E9 2FE9@C:E:6D A=2??:?8 E@ 5C:G6 9:D 42D<6E 2?5 @E96CD E9C@F89 E96 DEC66ED @7 %69C2? @? |@?52J] pFE9@C:E:6D 92G6 D9FE 5@H? DEC66ED[ 2:CDA246 2?5 52:=J =:76 7@C E96 >@FC?:?8[ H9:49 H:== 6?5 %9FCD52J 2D 96 😀 3FC:65 2E E96 x>2> #6K2 D9C:?6 😕 |2D9925[ z92>6?6:’D A=246 @7 3:CE9]k^Am

kAmpFE9@C:E:6D @776C65 ?@ 2EE6?52?46 4@F?E 7@C E96 6G6?E $2EFC52J 2?5 $F?52J] ~E96C 4:E:6D 24C@DD xC2? 2=D@ 96=5 >@FC?:?8 46C6>@?:6D]k^Am

kAmu@C ?@H[ E2=2?6?E 6?5 E@ E96 H2C 2C6 @? 9@=5 F?E:= E96 6?5 @7 E96 7F?6C2=] w2G:?8 2 >2;@C EFC?@FE 4@F=5 AC@G6 :>A@CE2?E 2D xC2? EC:6D E@ =6G6C286 :ED 9@=5 @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E96\H@C=5D\>@DE\:>A@CE2?E\a`\>:=6D\_____`h5a7375ah5277567774fa6____QmE96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FKk^2m 😕 ?68@E:2E:@?D 2D 4@?46C? =:?86CD E92E xDC26= 4@F=5 2EE24< 282:?]k^Am

kAm“~FC 7@C6:8? A@=:4J D9@F=5 ?@E 36 D92A65 😕 2 H2J E92E 2==@HD @FC >2CEJC65 =6256C’D 3=@@5 E@ 36 5:D9@?@C65 2?5 @E96C 4@F?EC:6D 42? 277@C5 E@ 5@ DF49 E9:?8D[ H:E9@FE 2?J D6C:@FD C6DA@?D6 7C@> @FC 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 5:A=@>2E:4 DJDE6>[” >@FC?6C |@92>>25 #6K2 $92C:7: D2:5]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmv2>3C6== C6A@CE65 7C@> sF32:[ &?:E65 pC23 t>:C2E6D]k^Am


Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.