US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran asked Washington to pause military strikes during the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said Iranian officials had told the United States: “Please don’t kill us during the funeral.” Trump said Iran requested a temporary halt to military action to allow the funeral to take place, and that the US assured Iranian officials they would not be targeted during the ceremony. Trump also claimed that US forces not only refrained from targeting Iranian officials, but also ensured the funeral could take place safely. He alleged that, after the temporary pause ended, Iran resumed missile attacks and attempted to target several Saudi and Qatari vessels.
