Source: Fortune.com
Summary
Iran’s top officials and family members of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended funeral prayers, signaling confidence in their safety amidst ongoing negotiations with the US to end the war. The crowd chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” calling for revenge over the airstrike that killed Khamenei and other top officials. The new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to make an appearance, believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike. The US is pressing ahead with negotiations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and rolling back Iran’s nuclear program.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story. Hundreds of thousands of mourners chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as they called for revenge over the airstrike that killed Khamenei and other top officials. The appearance of top officials, including Revolutionary Guard head Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, signaled confidence in their safety. The crowd’s calls for revenge, including the killing of US President Donald Trump, were met with cheers. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf attended the ceremony, as did Esmail Qaani, who leads the elite Quds Force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The funeral has postponed talks with the US, with authorities planning to drive Khamenei’s casket and others through the streets of Tehran on Monday.
The strategy enters a familiar phase. The US has rejected Iran’s demands for control over the Strait of Hormuz, and the sides are divided on other key issues, including the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran’s nuclear program.
Author: Evan Null
