At least 13 countries did not attend the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei due to US pressure, Iran’s state news agency Tasnim reported. The countries include states from Eastern Europe, Africa, the Gulf region, and East Asia.
Tasnim reported that after their absence from Khamenei’s funeral procession and prayers, several of the governments attempted to explain their position to Tehran through diplomatic channels.
Citing a senior source, Tasnim claimed that US officials conducted a “broad diplomatic campaign” over the past five days to dissuade various countries’ delegations from attending Khamenei’s funeral.
The report said that on June 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a classified directive to US embassies and diplomatic missions instructing them to inform host governments that Washington would consider attendance at Khamenei’s funeral an “unfriendly move” that could have a “negative impact” on bilateral relations with the United States.
According to two Arab diplomats, Rubio personally discussed the matter with foreign ministers or relevant officials of at least five Arab countries.
Additionally, US ambassadors posted in Africa warned the governments of their host countries that attending Khamenei’s funeral could put US development aid at risk, Tasnim reported. No immediate comment was available from the United States regarding these claims.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report