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The Trump administration moved to rally conservatives on July 4 (local time), marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and founding. On the same day, Iran held an elaborate funeral for its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike, cementing internal unity. The two nations, locked in a tug-of-war over ceasefire negotiations, appeared to compete for prestige even in national events.
According to local media on July 2, President Trump vowed to turn the July 4 celebration of the 250th anniversary of America's founding into the most spectacular "Trump rally" in history.
Trump had already signaled his own style by hosting a UFC match at the White House on June 14. From June 25 through July 10, the "Great American Festival" introducing all 50 U.S. states is under way on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. On July 4, he is seeking to break a Guinness World Record by launching 850,000 fireworks over about 40 minutes. A ball-drop event similar to New Year's Eve will be held in New York's Times Square, while a time capsule will be buried in Philadelphia to mark the 250th anniversary.
The official event is the "Tribute to America," held on the National Mall, the grassy plaza connecting the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Trump will deliver a speech himself. In a speech in North Dakota the previous day, he said, "On the 4th, the temperature will rise to about 107 degrees (Fahrenheit; 41.7 degrees Celsius), and I'm going to go there and give a very long speech to show that I can do anything."
Khamenei's funeral in Iran, held over six days starting July 3, will feature the main event, the funeral prayer service, on the 5th Iranian time. That day falls on July 4, the founding anniversary, in U.S. Eastern time. Mourners numbering between 18 million and 35 million are expected to gather. Observers say the funeral will break the record of former supreme leader Ruhollah Khomeini (June 1989; about 10.2 million gathered), listed in the Guinness Book of Records for "the largest funeral by proportion of population."
According to Iran's Foreign Ministry, foreign mourners from more than 100 countries will attend, including Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. China's He Wei, deputy chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, its top legislative body, will attend the funeral, while India's Foreign Ministry State Minister Shri Pabitra and others will pay their respects.
The Iranian regime also plans to use the funeral as an opportunity to unite public opinion wounded by the war. Setting the funeral date to coincide with America's founding anniversary can itself be seen as highly political. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun analyzed that the Iranian government intends to promote national prestige by emphasizing Khamenei's charisma through a state funeral and to showcase a leadership structure centered on Khamenei's second son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also appeared for the first time since the war.
However, some predict that Mojtaba, who did not appear in public throughout the war, is unlikely to appear before the public during this funeral.
Criticism has also erupted internally over the two nations' events, which have become stages for displays of strength. In the U.S., with Trump's approval rating falling into the 30 percent range, critics say the event has been turned into a pre-campaign for the November midterm elections. USA Today noted, "Ahead of the November midterms, President Trump is turning (the 250th anniversary celebration) into an all-time Trump festival and a 'MAGA spectacle.'"
Iran, too, faced complaints over forced mobilization. According to tips received by Iran International, Iranian authorities and state-affiliated agencies are pressuring workers, businesses, and charities to attend the funeral.
One Tehran resident said they received a text message from a real estate association telling them not to open their office and to attend the event, and testimony emerged that Basij (militia) members went around shops warning they would shut them down if they opened. Tehran's large bazaar was ordered closed until Thursday, and public institution employees were required to attend the funeral. In response, some citizens criticized, "They provide free trains and hotels for the leader's funeral, while student meal subsidies have been cut."
