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"Officials and artists gathered at Vahdat Hall in Tehran on Sunday for a farewell ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli strikes in late February, featuring a performance by the Iranian National Orchestra. Footage shows the orchestra performing on stage as images were displayed on a screen, while artists painted portraits, including depictions of the former leader. "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," said Seyed Abbas Salehi, Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, while calling the few who did not attend 'traitors’. “Our late leader was more Aryan than any claimant and acted in an Aryan manner," said Hossein Simaei Saraf, Iran’s Minister of Science, adding, "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, Director General of the Music Office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, said the "broad presence of artists from various disciplines reflects" the leader’s prestige and legacy. "This is the pain of losing such a dear leader, who may be unparalleled, or at least rare, among senior managers in the world," he added. At the time of publication, Iran had not announced the date or location of the funeral procession for the late Supreme Leader, who was killed 40 days ago. The United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28. Tehran later confirmed the killing of Khamenei, with his son, Mujtaba Khamenei, selected as his successor. Tensions have since escalated across the Middle East, with Iran launching retaliatory strikes on Israel and US assets in the region. The conflict has also spilled into Lebanon, where Hezbollah intervened 'in revenge' for the assassination. Key shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, were disrupted following its closure. US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday, April 8, that he had agreed to suspend attacks on Iran for two weeks, contingent on Tehran immediately and fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, just hours before his deadline for a deal. However, after talks in Islamabad over the weekend, US Vice President JD Vance said Washington and Tehran had failed to reach an agreement, calling the outcome "bad news for Iran, much more than it's bad news for the United States." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said "Views remained divided on two or three key issues, and the talks ultimately failed to form a deal," noting that "it was unrealistic from the outset to expect an agreement to be reached in a single session.""
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