Who Attended Ayatollah Khamenei’s Funeral on Friday?
News Desk
Tehran: Foreign dignitaries and official delegations from across the world gathered in Tehran on Friday to attend the condolence ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in what Iranian officials described as one of the largest international gatherings held in his honor.
According to Iranian state media, delegations and senior officials from more than 100 countries were invited to participate in the ceremony at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque.
The attendance of representatives from several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, was widely viewed as a significant diplomatic gesture amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The ceremony was attended by heads of state, senior government officials, diplomats and religious leaders who paid tribute to Ayatollah Khamenei.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, along with senior civilian and military officials, received the visiting delegations.
Inside the mosque, five coffins were placed in the main hall, including that of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several close family members who Iranian authorities said were killed alongside him in the attack.
Among them were his eldest daughter, his son-in-law, the wife of current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and his 14-month-old granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi, whose photograph was displayed beside her coffin.
The ceremony was reserved for foreign dignitaries, senior Iranian officials and invited guests, while public access to the mosque and surrounding areas remained restricted.
Countries Represented
Leaders and official delegations from Pakistan, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, Türkiye, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Bangladesh attended the ceremony, alongside representatives from numerous other countries.
According to Arab media, four Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, sent official delegations despite regional tensions. The ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to Iran also attended.
Pakistan Delegation
Pakistan sent a high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
The delegation included National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and MNA Qadir Patel.
The Pakistani delegation met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and other senior officials to convey condolences.
A separate delegation of prominent Pakistani Shia scholars, including Allama Sajid Naqvi, Allama Jawad Naqvi, Senator Raja Nasir Abbas and Allama Shabbir Hassan Meysami, also attended the ceremony.
In addition, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani led another delegation that included Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch and representatives of several religious and political parties.
China and Russia
China was represented by He Wei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Russia sent former President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. A delegation from the Russian Ulema Council also attended and conveyed condolences.
Afghanistan
The Afghan Taliban administration was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who arrived in Tehran on a special flight.
Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front and a prominent figure associated with Afghanistan’s former government, also attended the ceremony in a personal capacity.
Regional groups
Iranian state media reported that senior commanders and delegations from Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen participated in the ceremony. Representatives of the Palestinian groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also attended.
India
India sent a high-level delegation comprising representatives of both the government and opposition.
The delegation included Bihar Governor Syed Arif Mohammad Khan, former Indian Army officer Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, Congress leader Salman Khurshid and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.
The funeral and condolence ceremonies are expected to continue over the coming days, with additional international delegations scheduled to arrive in Tehran.Additional input from Aaj News website
