THE funeral ceremonies for Iran’s assassinated supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members, which began in Tehran on Friday, are evidence that the joint US-Israeli endeavour to break the Islamic Republic has failed. If anything, their aggression has rallied Iranians, who appear prepared to defend their country from hostile external forces. The ayatollah’s funeral has attracted dignitaries from around the world; clearly, the attempt to isolate Iran has also failed.