Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, will travel to Tehran as President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to attend the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to an Israeli intelligence channel.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev — currently deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council — will travel to Tehran as President Vladimir Putin's special envoy to attend the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to an Israeli intelligence channel. This confirmation, reported Wednesday at 08:08 and updated by 17:48 Jerusalem, follows initial reports on the funeral's preparations.
As The Zioneer has tracked, Khamenei's multi-city funeral was first announced Wednesday morning (08:08) to begin July 4 at Tehran's Grand Mosallah and end July 9 with burial in Mashhad. By 13:04 Wednesday, India had dispatched a delegation led by Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnin. Earlier, on June 10, Iran's vice president said several neighboring states requested to send over one million mourners collectively, a request Tehran said it cannot fully accommodate. On Wednesday evening (18:21), Israel's agriculture ministry allocated tens of tons of staples for mass catering. The intelligence channel's report on Medvedev's envoy status was integrated into the same 18:21 update.
The Kremlin's decision to send a high-ranking figure rather than a lower-level official signals the importance Russia places on maintaining ties with Iran's post-Khamenei leadership. As The Zioneer reported on June 8, the Financial Times noted that Russia partially suspended elements of Putin's security apparatus after Khamenei's assassination, over fears of surveillance exploitation.
The specific timing of Medvedev's arrival has not been confirmed, nor has Russia's Foreign Ministry officially commented on the report. The scale of foreign delegations and the exact capacity for hosting foreign mourners also remain unverified.
5 developments
- DevelopingIran deputy says neighbors want to send over 1 million mourners to Khamenei funeral
- DevelopingIndia sends special delegation to Iran for Khamenei funeral
- DevelopingSenior officials from over 30 countries confirm attendance at Khamenei funeral on Friday
- StrongIranian media: Khamenei funeral ceremony to be held in Qom on Tuesday
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