US launched global pressure campaign to deter nations from attending Leader's funeral: Report
Senior American officials waged an intensive behind‑the‑scenes campaign over the past five days to dissuade countries from participating in the funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to a report.
The US campaign was coordinated at the highest levels, involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US ambassadors worldwide, and included explicit threats to cut development aid and harm bilateral relations if nations chose to pay their respects to the martyred leader, Tasnim News Agency reported, quoting a senior Iranian source.
On June 26, Rubio issued a confidential directive instructing all US embassies and diplomatic missions to use various capacities of the United States to persuade host country officials that their participation in Iran’s funeral ceremony would be considered an unfriendly act by the United States and would have negative consequences for bilateral relations.
Two Arab diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Rubio personally contacted his counterparts in at least five Arab countries to press them to stay away.
Meanwhile, US ambassadors in African nations went further, explicitly threatening to cut off American development aid if their host countries sent representatives to Tehran.
As a result of the intense US pressure, at least 13 countries, including three Eastern European nations, five African states, two Persian Gulf Arab countries, and two major East Asian nations, withdrew from the funeral.
Some of these countries sent messages of apology through intermediaries or diplomatic missions in Geneva and New York, attempting to justify their decision.
Others nominated lower‑level diplomats in Tehran to attend, but Iran declined to accept their participation.
The revelations come as Iran prepares for the historic funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US‑Israeli airstrike on February 28, the first day of the war of aggression against the nation.
Despite Washington’s efforts, representatives from over 100 countries attended the ceremonies, underscoring the global respect for the martyred leader and the failure of America’s diplomatic pressure.
The funeral ceremonies, expected to draw up to dozens of millions of mourners, will be held over several days, with the body lying in state in Tehran before being transferred to Mashhad for burial near the holy shrine of Imam Reza.
Iranian officials have warned the US and Israel against any provocations during the solemn event.
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