"Neither honour, nor civilization": Tehran slams US after Trump's 'one-shot' threat

Iran on Sunday launched a fierce diplomatic attack against US President Donald Trump following his controversial public assertion that the United States could eliminate Tehran’s entire top leadership gathered at former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral in "one shot." Responding sharply on the social media platform X, the Iranian Embassy in Armenia took a swipe at the US, stating that the nation—which marked its 250th Independence Day on July 4—would never comprehend the massive outpouring of public grief because it lacks civilization, history, and honor. The embassy further claimed that while people can be killed, ideals cannot, comparing Khamenei's death to a broken perfume bottle whose scent has spread everywhere.

The severe diplomatic backlash was triggered by an interview Trump gave to Axios, where he expressed surprise at the thousands of mourning citizens and questioned the validity of their grief by suggesting they might be "fake tears." Trump went on to claim that Washington possessed the military capability to wipe out the remaining Iranian establishment in a single strike since they were all gathered in one place. However, he clarified that the United States would choose to refrain from launching such an operation because doing so would leave Washington with no political counterparts to engage with for ongoing diplomatic negotiations.

Meanwhile, the elaborate week-long funeral procession for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28—remains underway as his body lies in state in Tehran for mourners and foreign dignitaries to pay their respects. The Iranian establishment has consciously utilized the massive ceremonies as a display of national unity and political resilience amid high regional volatility, infusing Shiite martyrdom traditions with heavy political symbolism. The late leader's body will be taken through the cities of Qom, Najaf, and Karbala before his final scheduled burial in Mashhad on July 9.