Iranians chant 'death to America' and demand revenge during funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iranians have called for revenge against the US and Israel as they attended the public funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Massive crowds descended upon Tehran's Grand Mosalla prayer complex on Saturday for the ceremony with thousands bursting into tears and others chanting for retribution.

The gatherings, which began at 6am local time, saw demonstrators waving Iranian flags whilst shouting "Revenge, Revenge" and "Death to America" and demanding vengeance for the Supreme Leader's killing in the February airstrike.

In an exclusive dispatch for GB News from the Iranian capital, Owais Tohid witnessed the emotionally charged scenes firsthand.

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The journalist and South Asia and Middle East expert observed tearful mourners alongside others brandishing placards of Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son and successor, as anti-Western slogans reverberated through the prayer complex.

"Authorities are conveying a message through these ceremonies," Mr Tohid told The People's Channel.

"Massive ceremonies throughout this capital city of Iran with the message of unity, and the continuity of the Islamic Republic of the Revolution."

Speaking to attendees at the funeral, the journalist found widespread scepticism towards Washington amongst those present.

"I was talking to mourners, and they say that they have an immense distrust of America," Mr Tohid said.

"They are satisfied with the 14 points of the peace deal struck with the US. But they say that it might not last long.

"They say that there is a strategy of Iran, but they cannot trust America and Israel because they have been betrayed in the past.

"Most of the mourners I spoke with are saying Trump and his American administration might impose another war on Iran after the midterm polls in November.

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"One of the mourners tells me, if they impose a war on us, 'we have our hand on the trigger'."

The Supreme Leader's coffin, covered in the Iranian national flag, sat upon an elevated platform within the prayer complex alongside four additional caskets containing his relatives.

His daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law and granddaughter were all killed during the same strikes that ended his life in February, according to state media reports.

Following the two-day public viewing in Tehran, the body is scheduled to journey to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday before travelling to Iraq's sacred Shia sites of Najaf and Kerbala.

The final interment is planned for Thursday in Mashhad, the northeastern Iranian city where Khamenei was born and which houses one of Shia Islam's most revered pilgrimage destinations.

Mourners continued to pile into the Mosalla at least 12 hours after the doors first opened.

Tehran's municipality said more than 2.2 million mourners had been taken to the site by the capital’s metro by 3.30pm.

The funeral prayer over Khamenei and his family is set for 8am local time on Sunday at the Mosalla.

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