No Maldivian government representative attended Khamenei Funeral

RaajjeMV has confirmed that no official representative from the Maldives attended the funeral of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

A reliable source has confirmed to this newspaper that the Maldives did not send a representative to the funeral, which was attended by millions of people and numerous world leaders.

Meanwhile, the Maldivian government has accepted an official invitation from the Iranian authorities to attend the funeral of the late leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, having formally communicated its acceptance to the Iranian government.

When questioned by RaajjeTV on Saturday regarding the matter, the Chief Government Spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu), stated that the Maldivian government had received an invitation to attend the funeral.

"We received the invitation and have accepted it," Shareef said.

Shareef further stated that an ambassador based in the Gulf region will attend the ceremony.

However, it is noteworthy that Shareef was unable to specify the identity of the individual in question.

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 will 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 Ayatollah Ali 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.

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.

According to information released by Iranian state media, representatives from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and North Korea also attended the funeral ceremony.

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 members of parliament from Eastern European nations will attend, invitations were not extended to European countries that have officially supported the attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Neither the Iranian government nor its official media outlets have made any mention of a Maldivian representative among the foreign dignitaries attending Khamenei's funeral.

When asked by this newspaper about the implications of failing to attend the funeral of a Muslim head of state after receiving and accepting an invitation, a foreign policy expert stated that such an action generally diminishes the Maldives' standing in the eyes of the international community, and specifically undermines its prestige with the host nation.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an experienced expert stated that it is believed the Maldives' decision to abstain from the ceremony was likely influenced by the pressure of another foreign power.

He noted that it is a reality that certain influential nations, perceiving the Maldives as a small state, attempt to exert influence over such matters.

"Look at how relations with Iran were severed previously; the then-PPM government suddenly issued a statement announcing that they had terminated diplomatic ties with Iran," he said.

Diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Iran were restored on March 10, 2023, during the MDP administration, following a severance of ties in May 2016 under the PPM government.

Diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Iran were first established on June 2, 1975.

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 failed to offer even a basic message of condolence to the people of Iran.

Former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on his official residence on February 28.