Trump tries to take revenge on 13 countries attending Khamenei's funeral

Amidst a political crisis in the West Asian region taking on a new and complex dimension, the United States is reportedly exerting strong diplomatic pressure targeting the funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Citing Iranian media, it is stated that America has exerted severe pressure at a secret diplomatic level on various countries to prevent their participation in this funeral.

Due to this American intervention, at least 13 countries worldwide have changed their decisions, either refraining from attending the funeral or taking steps to minimize their representation.

According to foreign reports, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a series of secret instructions to US embassies on June 26. These instructed diplomats to make every possible effort to prevent the respective countries from attending the funeral. It was warned that participation in the Iranian leader's funeral would be considered an unfriendly act against America and could directly affect relations with the United States.

This American influence was not limited to diplomatic relations; Arab diplomatic sources indicate that several countries in the African region were also threatened with cuts in financial aid through US ambassadors. Faced with these threats, 13 countries, including 3 from Eastern Europe, 5 from Africa, 2 Arab countries from the Persian Gulf region, and 2 leading countries from East Asia, have withdrawn from visiting Iran. Although some countries attempted to send very low-level delegations, Iranian authorities have refused to accept them.

According to Iran's 'Tasnim' news agency, this lengthy funeral program, which began last Saturday at the Imam Khamenei Grand Musalla in Tehran, is scheduled to conclude on July 9 with the burial in Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad. The assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attack by the United States and Israel on February 28 led to a severe escalation of military tensions in West Asia. Subsequently, a 14-point memorandum of understanding was reached last month to end hostilities between the two sides, under which 60-day technical discussions on the nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz were to be held.

Although Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was appointed as Iran's new Supreme Leader after his father's death, it is reported that he will not participate in any part of his father's six-day funeral ceremonies. He has decided to refrain from public appearances due to ongoing assassination threats from Israel and severe security concerns. The public religious rites for Ali Khamenei and four members of his family, held on behalf of the Iranian people, concluded last Sunday in Tehran.