Spokesperson unable to confirm Maldives' representative at Khamenei's funeral
The government spokesperson stated that the Maldives received an invitation to attend the funeral of Iran's former supreme leader, noting that the Maldives would be represented by its ambassador to the Gulf region. However, Iranian authorities have not officially listed a Maldivian representative among the foreign dignitaries attending the ceremony. Furthermore, it has been observed that the Maldives has yet to follow its standard protocol for the passing of a head of state from an Islamic nation, such as the formal issuance of official condolences.
The funeral service for Iran's former leader, Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on February 28, is currently underway today, July 3, 2026, at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, Iran. | getty images
It has come to the attention of this news outlet that the government's chief spokesperson is unable to confirm which official represented the Maldives at the funeral of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
In response to an inquiry from RaajjeTV, the Chief Government Spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, confirmed that the Maldivian government received an official invitation to attend the funeral service.
"We received the invitation and have accepted it," Shareef said.
Shareef also stated that an ambassador stationed in the Gulf region will participate in the ceremony.
When asked to identify the individual, Shareef stated that there are four embassies located in that area and that a representative from one of those missions would be participating.
The Iranian government has announced that representatives from over 100 countries and approximately 20 million members of the public are expected to gather in Tehran for the funeral of the assassinated Khamenei.
Among the foreign dignitaries attending the ceremony are Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan; Abdul Latheef Rashid, President of Iraq; Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia; Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan; and Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Furthermore, the funeral was attended by the Speakers of Parliament from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman. Other high-level attendees included the Foreign Ministers of Nicaragua, Congo, and Burkina Faso, the Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament, and the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Zhang Ming, the Secretary-General of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Furthermore, the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed the attendance of several high-level officials, including the Vice President of Turkey, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khereiji, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, and the Defense Minister of Lebanon. Other notable attendees included Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Cuba’s Minister of Higher Education, Namibia’s Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Speaker of Qatar’s Shura Council, and the Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress. The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, along with special envoys from Serbia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Tanzania, and Thailand.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that high-level delegations from neighboring countries have arrived to attend the proceedings. These include heads of state or government from at least eight nations, as well as parliamentary speakers from 12 countries. Other nations are represented by their foreign ministers or special envoys.
He further stated that approximately 100 countries are expected to participate in the ceremony. Baghaei noted that while official delegations and parliamentarians from Eastern European nations will attend, invitations were not extended to European countries that officially supported the attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Neither the Iranian government nor its official state media have made any mention of a Maldivian representative among the foreign dignitaries attending Khamenei's funeral.
Following the death of Iran's top leader, it has been noted that President Muizzu's administration has failed to observe any of the long-standing protocols traditionally followed by the Maldives upon the passing of a head of state from an Islamic nation. Notably, the government has not even extended a basic message of condolence to the people of Iran.
Iran's former leader was assassinated in a joint U.S.- Israeli attack on his official residence on February 28.
