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TEHRAN - Iranians called for revenge on Monday during the funeral procession of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and voiced their opposition to negotiations with those behind the supreme leader's death.
"We don't want a deal. We want Trump's head!" they chanted, referring to the US president, whose country carried out joint strikes alongside Israel that killed Khamenei on February 28.
His death as a "martyr" has whipped up fervour among Iranians, according to mourner Gholamreza Khanbabai, who was also present in 1989 for the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic.
"I was in my twenties back then. People were enthusiastic (about paying tribute) but also devastated," the 58-year-old said.
Ruhollah Khomeini died on June 3, 1989. His funeral, held three days later, drew the largest gathering in Iran's history up to that point.
Khanbabai said that at the time, Iranians "could not imagine what lay ahead" after the death of the man who, in 1979, had put an end to two millennia of monarchy in ancient Persia.
State news agency IRNA said no fewer than 10 million people paid their respects to Khomeini.
The funeral brought chaos: mourners swarmed the vehicle carrying Khomeini's remains, causing his burial shroud to tear and his body to fall to the ground. Crowd surges killed some 10 people and injured more than 10,000.
"If I had to compare this ceremony to that one, I'd say... the crowd seems more enthusiastic this time," said Khanbabai.
The funeral proceedings are intended to serve as a show of strength to the Islamic republic's foes after five weeks at war with Israel and the United States.
- 'Words of hypocrites' -
The Israeli-US strikes that killed Khamenei and other top officials also followed massive protests in Iran that rights groups say were quelled by a crackdown that killed thousands of people.
Khomeini's death was "the first shock" for Iranians, and Khamenei's killing "the second", said a 65-year-old mourner who gave his surname as Kazemi. He added that he observed "the same fervour" as in 1989.
Like others interviewed by AFP, he said he did not believe in the negotiations between Iran and the US that resulted in the countries signing a memorandum of understanding last month.
"We want revenge... because if nothing is done, the situation will get worse," said the man who wore a keffiyeh scarf over his head as protection from the scorching sun.
The man, who declined to give his first name, held a photo of Trump in crosshairs.
Ali Heydari, 50, also spoke of nothing but revenge.
"What does this memorandum of understanding mean? We have neither peace nor friendship with the one who killed our father," he said, referring to Khamenei.
"These are merely the words of hypocrites -- people who think only of their own interests and do not understand the people," he said, echoing the stance of Iran's hardliners who reject any compromise with Washington.
Iranians have flooded central Tehran since dawn on Monday in a bid to say their final farewell to Khamenei during the funeral procession.
No attendance figures have been released, but Tehran had not seen such a crowd since 2020, when seven million people attended the funeral of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, according to official figures. - AFP
