Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has expressed gratitude to representatives from over seventy nations for attending the funeral ceremonies of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling their participation an everlasting memory in Iran’s diplomatic history.

The ceremonies have drawn millions of mourners and high-level delegations from across Asia, the Middle East, and beyond, underscoring the geopolitical weight of the event.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi issued a statement on Saturday, thanking representatives from more than seventy countries for attending the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He emphasised that the participation of foreign dignitaries, including loyal Arab allies, would remain a lasting memory in Iran’s relations with those nations.

The funeral ceremonies began at Tehran’s Grand Imam Khomeini Mosalla, where thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Araghchi himself were seen breaking down in tears during the farewell ceremony, reflecting the depth of grief among Iran’s leadership.

Senior Iranian officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje’i, and Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani were present at the ceremony. The coffin of Khamenei, draped in symbolic flags, was placed alongside those of family members killed in the February 28 US-Israeli strikes that claimed his life.

Foreign dignitaries attending included Turkmenistan’s chairman of the People’s Council Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.

Delegations also came from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Congo, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Palestine, Oman, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, with Dmitry Medvedev representing Moscow as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council.

India was represented by Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, reflecting New Delhi’s careful diplomatic balancing in West Asia. Former Congress leader Salman Khurshid also travelled earlier to Tehran as part of India’s political representation.

International organisations were present as well, including the Shanghai Cooperation Council, the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Their participation highlighted Iran’s intent to showcase broad international solidarity despite ongoing tensions with the United States and Israel.

The funeral ceremonies are scheduled to continue across multiple cities. The main procession in Tehran will take place on Monday, followed by ceremonies in Qom on Tuesday and Mashhad on Thursday, where Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine.

Additional ceremonies are planned in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, underscoring the transnational religious significance of the mourning rituals.

Reports from Al Jazeera and other outlets suggest that more than ten million people, including representatives from over one hundred countries, are expected to participate in the ceremonies. The crowds are projected to be among the largest public gatherings in Iran since the mass protests of December and January, reflecting both grief and political mobilisation.

The funeral has also become a platform for Iran to project resilience. Mourners chanted slogans of revenge against Israel and the United States, while Iranian officials vowed retaliation against any aggression during the mourning period. The ceremonies are being held under one of the largest security deployments in Iran’s history, with aviation assets monitoring crowd movements.

The burial in Mashhad will carry symbolic weight, as it is both Khamenei’s birthplace and the site of the revered Imam Reza Shrine. The week-long ceremonies are intended not only as a farewell to the late leader but also as a demonstration of unity and defiance in the face of external pressure.

ANI