Iran’s Culture Minister Seyed Abbas Salehi said: “In terms of quantity and quality, with clear, attractive expressions and noteworthy events, a considerable number of artists, step by step over these forty days, came forward and participated,” adding that those who did not attend were “traitors”.

Science Minister Hossein Simaei Saraf described Khamenei as unmatched, saying: “I can say that the characteristics you see in our dear, martyred leader are unparalleled traits that have come together in one person.”

Babak Rezaei of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage said the “broad presence of artists from various disciplines reflects” the leader’s legacy.

Khamenei was killed during a joint US-Israeli operation on February 28, with his son, Mujtaba Khamenei, later named successor. Iran has yet to announce details of the funeral procession as regional tensions continue to escalate.

According to the New York Post, sources familiar with the briefing said the president laughed aloud when hearing the claim, while others in the room reportedly reacted with amusement as well.

Three sources cited by the newspaper said the allegation is viewed within parts of the U.S. intelligence community as credible rather than a disinformation attempt aimed at undermining the Iranian leader. 

Khamenei became Iran’s Supreme Leader on 8 March after the death of his father, who had ruled the country since 1989. Prior to assuming the role, Mojtaba Khamenei was widely described by analysts as a powerful behind-the-scenes figure within Iran’s political establishment.

Is homosexuality allowed in Iran?

Any discussion of sexual orientation carries particular sensitivity in Iran, where same-sex relations are illegal. Under Iran’s penal code, based largely on Islamic law, same-sex sexual activity between men or women can carry severe penalties, including the death sentence.

Human rights organisations say these laws continue to be enforced. According to the Human Dignity Trust , LGBT people in Iran face arrest, discrimination and violence, with cases of executions for same-sex relations reported in recent years.

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad famously claimed in 2007 that the country did not have homosexuals, a statement widely criticised internationally.

Where does Trump stand on homosexuality?

Trump’s reaction to the intelligence briefing also comes against the backdrop of his record on LGBT policy in the United States.

During his presidency and political campaigns, Trump has supported measures restricting gender-affirming care for minors and has proposed defining gender in federal law strictly as male or female.

His administration also introduced policies that rolled back several Obama-era protections for LGBT people. In 2017, the administration announced a ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the U.S. military, a policy later implemented by the Department of Defence.

Advocacy groups also criticised the administration for removing references to LGBT rights and information from several federal government websites shortly after Trump took office in 2017.

Trump has also opposed the Equality Act, legislation designed to expand federal civil rights protections to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity.

While troop levels fluctuate depending on operational needs, Pentagon briefings and Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports confirm that the United States maintains a substantial and strategically positioned presence across the Gulf and Levant.

According to U.S. Department of Defence data, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia host some of the largest concentrations of American personnel in the region.

Kuwait has historically served as a logistics and staging hub for operations in Iraq and Syria. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, U.S. troop levels there surged, and while numbers have fluctuated, thousands remain stationed at bases such as Camp Arifjan.

Saudi Arabia also hosts significant U.S. forces, particularly since Washington redeployed troops there in 2019 after heightened tensions with Iran . Reuters reported at the time that the move aimed to strengthen regional deterrence.

Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. The base serves as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command’s air operations. According to the Pentagon and reporting by Reuters , Al Udeid plays a central role in air operations spanning Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan during the height of those conflicts.

Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. The naval presence underpins maritime security operations across the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea. The U.S. Navy states that the Fifth Fleet oversees operations covering roughly 2.5 million square miles of water.

Despite the formal end of major combat operations in Iraq in 2011 and the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, U.S. forces remain in Iraq and Syria under a mission focused on preventing the resurgence of the Islamic State.

Pentagon statements and Reuters reporting confirm that approximately 2,500 U.S. troops are deployed in Iraq in an advisory and counterterrorism role. In Syria, around 900 to 2,000 personnel are reported to be operating in support of local partner forces in the northeast.

These deployments have occasionally drawn scrutiny following attacks by Iran-aligned militias, prompting periodic U.S. retaliatory airstrikes, according to Reuters coverage.

Jordan hosts several thousand U.S. troops at facilities used for training, logistics and regional response operations. The United Arab Emirates also hosts U.S. forces at Al Dhafra Air Base, supporting air operations and missile defence coordination.

The U.S. military presence in the Middle East is rooted in decades of security agreements, counterterrorism operations and energy security concerns. The Congressional Research Service notes that U.S. basing arrangements are designed to provide rapid response capability, reassure allies and deter regional adversaries.

Chinese foreign ministry statement said the attack was “a grave violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security ” that “tramples on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and basic norms in international relations.”

“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it,” the statement added, urging “an immediate stop to the military operations” and warning against “any further escalation of the tense situation.”

Beijing’s strongest leverage is diplomatic; it is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has joined other countries in calling for restraint and a return to negotiations, even as fighting spreads across multiple fronts.

But China’s reported ability to broker a quick off-ramp may be limited. While Beijing has built close ties with Tehran and has previously helped mediate major Middle East diplomacy, including the Saudi-Iran détente , it has far less influence over Israel and the United States, who are central to any ceasefire plan.

China also has clear economic reasons to push for calm, including protecting regional stability and energy flows. China has been Iran’s biggest export market since 2019 and its largest source of imports since 2014, but Iran still makes up less than 1% of China’s total global trade.

In 2025, China bought more than 80% of Iran’s seaborne oil exports, typically at a steep discount, and those purchases made up about 13.4% (roughly 13.5%) of China’s total oil imports by sea.

In Gaza, Hamas announced it was mourning Khamenei, calling him a key backer of the Palestinian militant group. “We in Hamas mourn the passing of Ali Khamenei,” it said, adding that he provided “political, diplomatic and military support” to its cause.

Hamas also condemned the US-Israeli attack on Iran as a “heinous” act with serious consequences for the region.

Khamenei’s death has deepened uncertainty over Iran’s next steps and leadership succession, as countries and international bodies urged restraint amid ongoing military exchanges across the Middle East.