US Pressure Forces 13 Nations To Skip Or Scale Back Participation In Khamenei's Funeral: Report

Tehran: The ongoing crisis in West Asia has reached a critical juncture. While diplomatic efforts continue in an attempt to halt conflict and bring the United States, Israel, and Iran to the negotiating table, new diplomatic friction has emerged.

According to Iran's Tasnim news agency, which cited a senior source, the United States has carried out a diplomatic campaign to discourage countries from attending the funeral ceremony for Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran.

Subsequently, at least 13 countries either withdrew or scaled down their participation in the funeral ceremony.

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Multi-Day Funeral Ceremony Underway In Tehran

The multi-day funeral ceremony for Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, began on Saturday at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran and is scheduled to continue for several days. It will conclude with his burial, scheduled to take place in Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad on July 9.

'Discourage Countries From Attending Funeral Ceremony'

According to the report, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued secret instructions to American embassies on June 26, directing diplomats to utilise all available means to discourage countries from sending representatives to the event. The US warned that attending the funeral would be viewed as an 'unfriendly act' that could negatively impact bilateral relations with Washington.

Additionally, two Arab diplomats stated that US ambassadors in several African nations warned that their development aid from the United States could be cut if they attended the ceremony.

13 Countries Withdrew Or Scaled Back Participation

Subsequently, at least 13 countries have either withdrawn or scaled down their participation in the funeral ceremony. These reportedly include three countries from Eastern Europe, five from Africa, two Arab states in the Persian Gulf, and two major nations in East Asia.

According to the report, while some of these countries cited diplomatic reasons for their absence, others attempted to send low-level delegations, which Iranian officials refused to accept.

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Mojtaba Khamenei Remains Out Of Sight

A public funeral prayer was held in Tehran on Sunday for Ali Khamenei and four members of his family. Khamenei was assassinated in joint US and Israeli attacks on February 28, 2026, significantly escalating tensions across the region. Following his father's death, Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him as Iran's new Supreme Leader. However, due to ongoing assassination threats from Israel and security concerns, he will not attend his father's six-day funeral ceremonies.

(With Inputs From ANI)

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