When Iran’s leaders and senior military commanders gathered to honor the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the ceremony was intended to project strength and unity. The weeklong funeral, which started on Friday, followed the war with the United States and Israel.

A military band played a somber anthem. Officials who had not been seen together publicly since the war began walked side by side. The group included the president, the speaker of Parliament, the judiciary head, and top generals from the Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Notably absent was Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader. He succeeded his father but has not appeared in public since his appointment in March.

The event temporarily eased the escalating tensions prompted by senior officials and political figures openly clashing over ongoing negotiations with the United States. These figures exchanged harsh accusations, including delusion, treason, and coup plotting.

“I spit on this era where they kill our leader and then we speak of peace with the United States,” stated Hassan Rahimpour-Azghadi, a prominent hard-line strategist, at a rally in Tehran. Instead, he advocated for revenge.

Attempts by Ayatollah Khamenei to calm the situation with a carefully worded written statement only intensified the discord. Hard-line supporters have demanded that the supreme leader either make a public appearance or release an audio recording.