On the 3rd, a day before the start of the official funeral for former Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, a procession of condolences from leaders of Iran's friendly nations continued.
According to AFP and other foreign media, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrived in Tehran that day with a condolence delegation. He paid his respects at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, the prayer hall where Khamenei's coffin is laid.
Medvedev exchanged a brief conversation with Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, who received him, and was also reported to have greeted Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, among others.
Neighboring countries where tensions have deepened due to recent armed clashes also paid respects. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who played a mediating role in the peace talks between Iran and the United States, visited with Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir.
From Afghanistan, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended as representative. Earlier, Ahmad Massoud, the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud, who received Iran's support in the 1990s, also visited the funeral site. Ahmad Massoud leads the anti-Taliban front in Afghanistan.
From Saudi Arabia, which had been hit by Iran's drone attacks, Vice Foreign Minister Waleed Alkhuraiji led a condolence delegation to Tehran. The Palestinian militant faction Hamas and Lebanon's pro-Iran militant faction Hezbollah also paid respects.
China sent He Weid, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, as its representative. Including this, condolence delegations from about 30 countries are expected to attend Khamenei's funeral.