Iranian media: US pressured nations to skip Khamenei funeral

Iranian media outlet Tasnim reported that the United States exerted extensive pressure on various nations to abstain from attending the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the report, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a classified directive to all U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions on May 26.

The directive allegedly stated that attendance at the funeral would be viewed as an unfriendly act toward the U.S., carrying negative repercussions for bilateral relations. Multiple Arab diplomats, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Blinken directly discussed the matter with foreign ministers from at least five Arab countries.

Furthermore, U.S. ambassadors in Africa reportedly warned their host countries that attending the funeral could lead to a reduction in U.S. development aid. Tasnim cited one North African nation that consequently lowered the level of its delegation attending the ceremony. The report also indicated that three Eastern European countries and five African nations ultimately did not participate in the funeral.

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All recipients of this directive must use all their capabilities to convince the host country authorities that attending the funeral of the Iranian leader will be considered an unfriendly act toward the United States and will have negative consequences for relations with the United States.