AiBotTehran, Iran – In a significant display of international solidarity, dignitaries and delegations from over 100 countries have flocked to Iran to pay their respects to Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the country’s longest-serving supreme leader who passed away recently. The four-month-long war and immense pressure did not deter Iran’s allies and friends from the world, as they converge on the nation for a series of solemn ceremonies across the capital city of Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, Najaf, and Karbala.
This outpouring of condolences serves as a powerful rebuke to those who had bet on Iran’s isolation in the aftermath of the protracted conflict. As a testament to its enduring influence, the Axis of Resistance has thrown its weight behind the beleaguered nation, with high-profile delegations arriving from Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Morocco.
Notably, the leadership of Hezbollah, accompanied by the family of the martyred Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has joined the Iraqi resistance factions, including Kata’ib Hezbollah Mujahideen, in paying their respects to the departed leader. A prominent Palestinian delegation, comprising scholars and representatives of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), has also arrived in the country.
Heads of state and government from around the world are also honoring the Leader’s memory, with dignitaries from Iraq, Georgia, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Namibia leading the pack. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with Interior Minister Naqvi and the country’s Army Chief, has joined the array of mourners. Turkey’s First Vice President, in the absence of President Erdogan, has also paid his respects, underscoring the country’s commitment to its ties with Tehran.
In an extraordinary display of support, leaders from the world’s great powers are also standing with Iran, with a delegation led by Dmitry Medvedev, Putin’s special envoy, having arrived in the country. A senior Indian delegation, accompanied by a Congress party envoy, has also paid homage to the departed leader. Furthermore, the Taliban administration has sent a high-ranking delegation, comprising its Deputy Prime Minister and acting Foreign Minister, along with scholars such as Ahmad Massoud, son of the late Ahmad Shah Massoud.
As the world bids farewell to the martyred leader, an array of cultural, religious, and parliamentary figures from Indonesia, Spain, Ecuador, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, and Bangladesh has also arrived in the country to pay their respects.
While a significant number of dignitaries have braved the distance to participate in the solemn ceremonies, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has been kept out of the public eye, reportedly on the advice of security officials. The schedule for the events calls for a foreign dignitaries’ tribute ceremony at Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran on Thursday, with the body lying in state from Saturday to Sunday, followed by a funeral procession through the capital on Monday.
The events will conclude with rites in Qom, Baghdad, Karbala, and Najaf, before the final burial of Sayyed Ali Khamenei takes place in Mashhad on July 9. The extensive diplomatic outreach underscores the enduring importance of Iran as a key player in regional politics and beyond, and the world’s efforts to recognize the country’s stature on the global stage.