Far-right activist Laura Loomer has drawn widespread criticism following a series of social media posts in which she appeared to encourage an attack on Iran during the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The controversy unfolded as Iran prepared for Khamenei’s funeral, scheduled for July 9. Iranian state media has reported that his body is being kept in cold storage before the ceremonies, which are expected to attract millions of mourners.
Responding to a post about the funeral arrangements, Loomer wrote, “A funeral for Khameni? That’s what we call a target rich environment. 💣"
She later returned to the subject in another post, tagging the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and writing, “The IDF has the opportunity to do the funniest thing. @IDF."
After another social media user appeared to criticise the idea of such an attack, Loomer replied, “I’ll never say no to an opportunity to see the US or IDF bomb a bunch of jihadis."
The posts quickly gained traction online, with many social media users condemning Loomer for appearing to advocate violence.
A longtime ally of US President Donald Trump, Loomer has consistently opposed negotiations and agreements involving Iran and has frequently criticised efforts aimed at reducing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
She has also repeatedly made controversial comments about Islam, often referring to Muslims as “jihadis". Over the years, Loomer has criticised several public figures, including US Representative Ilhan Omar and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, over their views on Islam and Iran.
Although she has previously described Trump as a “geopolitical genius", Loomer has also been critical of Republicans who favour diplomacy with Iran. In one of her social media posts, she argued that Republicans could lose the midterm elections not because of Trump’s policies but because “spineless GOP officials refuse to codify his agenda and allow him to do what needs to be done".
According to Iranian state media, funeral ceremonies for Khamenei are scheduled to take place in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad on July 6, July 7 and July 9. He is expected to be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza following the ceremonies.
The funeral was postponed for more than 100 days due to regional tensions and to avoid coinciding with the first ten days of Muharram, when Shia Muslims commemorate Imam Hussein, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
Iranian officials expect more than 20 million people to attend the funeral events.
Khamenei was killed in US air strikes on February 28 while at his office in Tehran. His daughter, son-in-law and one of his grandchildren were also killed in the attack. He was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
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