Iran denies South Korean ambassador attendance at former Supreme Leader's funeral

South Korea's ambassador to Iran, Kim Joon-pyo, was reportedly denied permission to attend the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which began in Tehran. The South Korean government had initially sought to have its ambassador attend the ceremony but was informed by Iranian authorities that diplomatic envoys would not be permitted to participate.

An official from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Iran cited "technical reasons" for the exclusion of diplomatic delegations. It appears Iran decided to accept condolences only from high-ranking official delegations dispatched from their home countries, rather than from ambassadors stationed in Tehran. This decision meant that ambassador-level participation was not feasible.

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The South Korean ambassador tried to attend, but Iran informed us that the ambassador's attendance at the funeral would not be accepted.

Reports indicate that at least 13 countries withdrew their planned attendance, with some attempting to send local diplomats instead, only to be rejected by Iran. Japan reportedly faced similar circumstances. South Korea has been working to maintain smooth diplomatic relations with Iran, even keeping its embassy operational amidst the conflict between the US and Iran.

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The Iranian side requested understanding, citing 'technical reasons,' stating that it would be difficult for diplomatic envoys to attend the funeral.

However, the incident raises questions about potential diplomatic balancing acts. While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the US did not explicitly request South Korea's non-attendance, the decision to limit participation to the ambassador level might have been a strategic move to avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings with the US. Meanwhile, countries like China, represented by a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Russia, with its Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, sent high-level delegations. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey also sent government representatives. Notably, major Western countries were absent, as Iran had previously announced it would not invite governments that supported US-Israeli airstrikes or European nations.

The article mentions that Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died in February due to airstrikes by the US and Israel. The funeral events in Tehran lasted for six days.

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The US did not ask us not to attend the funeral.