Khamenei funeral: Iran thanks India, report says US threats made 13 countries stay away

Iran thanked India for attending Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's state funeral in Tehran. The message came even as Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency said that US pressure led at least 13 countries, including two Gulf nations, to scale back or cancel participation.

In Short

• Iran thanked India for sending an official delegation to Khamenei's funeral
• Iranian news agency claimed 13 countries reduced or withdrew representation
• The agency claimed US pressure led countries to scale back funeral participation

Iran's public expression of gratitude to India for participating in the state funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has come against the backdrop of reports in Iranian media that several countries either withdrew or reduced their level of representation at the ceremonies after diplomatic pressure from the US. At least 13 countries, including two Gulf nations, scaled back or kept away from Khamenei's funeral after diplomatic arm-twisting by the US, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

When viewed together, the two developments highlight the diplomatic currents that surrounded one of the biggest and closely watched state funerals in recent Iranian history. Tasnim reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally contacted at least five Arab governments to urge them not to attend the funeral procession in Tehran.

On Monday (July 6), the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India, through a post on X, thanked the Indian government and people of India for participating in the funeral ceremonies and described New Delhi's presence as a reaffirmation of the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

"The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Republic of India extends its heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation to the friendly Government and people of India, especially the official delegation that attended on behalf of the Government and people of India, for participating in the funeral ceremonies and paying tribute to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei," tweeted the Iranian embassy.

Representing the Government of India at the state funeral were Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (retired). The official delegation was accompanied by several other Indian dignitaries, including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, and religious leaders representing different faith traditions in India.

"The people of Iran will never forget this gesture of friendship, compassion, and heartfelt respect," the Iranian Embassy said in its statement. It described India's participation as "a precious testament to the enduring ties" between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of India and said it would serve as "a valuable foundation for further strengthening the longstanding friendship between our two countries."

The message reiterated Tehran's appreciation to Indian officials, public figures and citizens who conveyed condolences following Khamenei's death.

US DISCOURAGED SEVERAL NATIONS FROM SENDING DELEGATIONS TO KHAMENEI'S FUNERAL: REPORT

Iran's statement thanking India came even as Tasnim News Agency reported on July 3 (Friday) that participation in the funeral had become the subject of an intense diplomatic contest, alleging that the United States had sought to discourage countries from sending official delegations to Tehran.

According to Tasnim, citing what it described as a senior Iranian source, Washington launched a coordinated diplomatic effort about a week before the funeral procession to persuade governments to avoid participating in the ceremonies. The report alleged that the effort involved Marco Rubio and American ambassadors in multiple countries.

Tasnim, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that US diplomatic missions informed several governments that attending Khamenei's funeral would be viewed as an "unfriendly act" towards Washington and could carry implications for bilateral relations with the United States.

"Some of the countries that decided not to participate due to US pressure have tried to ask for an apology and tried to justify their decisions by sending messages through intermediaries or through their diplomatic missions in Geneva and New York," the news agency's report said.

The report further alleged that some governments were warned of "negative consequences", including reductions in development aid or adverse effects on bilateral ties, should they decide to participate in the funeral.

Tasnim also cited two unnamed Arab diplomats as saying that Rubio had personally contacted at least five Arab governments to urge them not to attend the funeral procession in Tehran. According to the report, those countries were allegedly told that participation could negatively affect their relations with the United States.

The agency further claimed that several African countries were similarly warned that official participation could have implications for US development assistance.

Tasnim reported that at least 13 countries either withdrew from the funeral ceremonies altogether or reduced the level of their official representation. According to the IRGC-backed news agency, those countries included three Eastern European nations, five African states, two Persian Gulf Arab countries and two major East Asian nations.

Tasnim did not identify the countries by name. Neither the US State Department nor Secretary Rubio have publicly responded to the specific allegations reported by Tasnim at the time of writing.

Offering context to the situation, Mehran Haghirian, director of research and programmes at the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, and a scholar of Persian Gulf studies, wrote on X, "Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman sent official delegations for Khamenei's funeral, while the UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain refrained from doing so."

INDIA'S OFFICIAL DELEGATION FOR KHAMENEI FUNERAL ACCOMPANIED BY POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS FIGURES

India, however, maintained its participation in the ceremonies by sending an official delegation, while several prominent Indian political and religious figures also travelled to Iran to pay their respects.

For New Delhi, the decision was consistent with India's long-standing approach of maintaining engagement with multiple partners across the Middle East despite geopolitical rivalries in the region. India shares civilisational links with Iran and has substantial strategic interests ranging from energy security to connectivity initiatives, while simultaneously maintaining close partnerships with the United States, Israel and several Arab states.

Iran's decision to publicly thank India among the dozens of countries that attended the funeral is also notable because official diplomatic statements of gratitude following state funerals are generally reserved for countries whose participation carries symbolic importance. By emphasising India's representation and referring to the "enduring ties" between the two countries, Tehran underscored the significance it attached to New Delhi's presence during a period of national mourning.

The funeral itself drew delegations from dozens of countries and religious communities, reflecting both the political stature of Iran's late Supreme Leader and the country's regional and international relationships.

Following a large funeral procession in central Tehran on Monday, Khamenei's remains are scheduled to be taken to the seminary city of Qom for ceremonies before being flown to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. They will subsequently return to Iran for another procession in Mashhad.

Even as reports emerged of over a dozen countries scaling back or staying away from Khamenei's funeral because of pressure from the US, India's participation and Iran's public acknowledgement of it point towards one of the more visible diplomatic moments.

- Ends