According to Iranian accounts, Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Those honored during the funeral ceremonies also included Khamenei’s son-in-law, his eldest daughter, a 14-month-old granddaughter, and the wife of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

The Saudi delegation’s attendance drew attention because Oman and Qatar, which have played mediation roles in regional diplomacy, had been widely expected to participate. Saudi Arabia’s presence was viewed as notable given the countries’ decades of strained relations before a China-brokered rapprochement in 2023 restored diplomatic ties.

During the recent conflict, Saudi Arabia had declined U.S. requests to allow its territory to be used for military operations against Iran. Days later, Iran’s military launched repeated attacks on U.S. military bases located in Saudi Arabia, according to the account.

According to New York Times report, Saudi Arabia refused to allow U.S. forces to use its airspace. The decision reportedly prompted multiple conversations between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who maintained Riyadh’s position.

The report quoted Hussein Ibish, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, as saying Saudi officials believed permitting U.S. access to their airspace could expose the kingdom to further Iranian retaliation. “They had lost confidence in the administration, and they thought if they let the U.S. use their airspace, they would get hit even harder by Iran,” Ibish told the newspaper.

Regional analysts say Saudi Arabia sought to avoid direct alignment with either side during the conflict while safeguarding its national interests. The decision to send a delegation to Khamenei’s funeral is being interpreted by some observers as part of Riyadh’s broader effort to preserve diplomatic engagement with Tehran amid continuing regional uncertainty.

In a post on X, Qalibaf accused Donald Trump of attempting to turn diplomacy into a “table of surrender,” adding that Tehran was instead preparing “to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”His remarks come as a two-week ceasefire in a conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted global markets, particularly energy supplies, is set to lapse later this week.

The truce has come under strain following a U.S. move to seize an Iranian cargo vessel accused of violating a maritime blockade, prompting Tehran to warn of retaliation.

Iran has consistently rejected negotiations conducted under coercion, while Washington has maintained pressure through military and economic measures as part of its broader strategy toward Tehran.

In the statement, Pezeshkian said Iran had attempted to avoid war through diplomatic engagement with neighbouring governments but that recent military actions by the United States and Israel had forced Tehran to act in self-defence. “We have strived alongside you and through diplomacy to avoid war, but the American-Zionist military aggression has left us no choice but to defend ourselves,” he wrote.

The Iranian president addressed the message to what he described as “friendly and neighboring states,” stressing that Tehran respects the sovereignty of countries across the Middle East. He added that regional security and stability should be achieved collectively by states in the region rather than through outside intervention.

Iranian officials have repeatedly framed their military posture in recent months as defensive, arguing that the country is responding to external threats. Pezeshkian’s remarks reflect Tehran’s long-standing position that regional security arrangements should be managed by Middle Eastern governments themselves.

The message appeared aimed at reassuring neighbouring governments that Iran’s response would not threaten their territorial sovereignty while also signalling that Tehran considers recent military actions against it to justify retaliation under self-defence.