To Beijing and Islamabad, Mourning Khamenei Without Shame

Introduction: A Letter to Those Who Honor a Fallen Tyrant

What These Funerals Reveal Before They Even Begin

Dear leaders of Beijing and Islamabad, allow a Western columnist to write to you directly, without detour, as Iran begins six days of national mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died on February 28 on the first day of the Israeli-American war against Tehran. The whole world is watching, and what you're about to do says a great deal about who you really are.

According to CNBC, more than 30 countries have officially asked to take part in this funeral procession, which begins on July 4 in Tehran and concludes on July 9 with burial in Mashhad, a holy city of Shia Islam. That China and Pakistan are among the confirmed participants will surprise no one, but it deserves to be said without indulgence.

A Letter, Not a Blanket Indictment

I don't claim here to judge the entirety of your respective foreign policies in a single text. But I want to tell you, as a columnist who firmly believes in the moral superiority of the Western world, what this specific diplomatic choice represents, at this specific moment in Middle East history.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Thursday that He Wei, a senior Chinese legislative official, will attend the funeral, according to CNBC. Pakistan has also confirmed its presence. These choices are never trivial in international diplomacy.

Who Ali Khamenei Really Was

Thirty-Six Years at the Head of a Repressive Regime

Ali Khamenei led the Islamic Republic of Iran for 36 years, according to Reuters, a period marked by systematic repression of dissidents, of women who refused mandatory hijab, of religious minorities, and of any organized political opposition. He died at age 86 on February 28, on the first day of the Israeli-American strikes against his country.

Under his leadership, Iran funded and armed regional militias, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen, helping to durably destabilize several regions of the Middle East and fuel an axis hostile to the West and its allies.

A Death That Occurred Amid War, Not Peace

The very context of his death, which came amid open military confrontation with Israel and the United States, is a reminder that this regime didn't stumble into conflict by accident: it fueled that conflict itself through decades of aggressive nuclear policy, support for regional terrorism, and systematic anti-Western rhetoric.

The funeral, delayed by several months due to the fighting, according to CNBC, shows just how much this regime remains, even now, locked into a logic of permanent confrontation rather than regional de-escalation.

Beijing, a Choice That Confirms the Sino-Iranian Axis

He Wei, a Calculated Signal, Not a Protocol Coincidence

Beijing's decision to send He Wei, described by CNBC as a senior Chinese legislative official, isn't a diplomatic coincidence. It confirms the strength of the strategic axis between China and Iran, a partnership that has grown considerably in recent years around oil, military technology, and shared opposition to the Western-led international order.

This Chinese presence at the funeral fits into a broader Beijing strategy of positioning itself as the diplomatic protector of authoritarian regimes isolated by Western sanctions, from Tehran to Moscow to Pyongyang.

An Oil Diplomacy With Nothing Ideological About It

It would be naive to believe this relationship rests on any sincere ideological affinity. It rests, above all, on interest: Iran needs a buyer for its sanctioned oil, and China needs a reliable energy supplier willing to skirt Western sanctions mechanisms.

This cynical transaction, dressed up in the diplomatic language of solidarity between nations, perfectly illustrates why China, alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea, remains one of the greatest structural threats to the international order that the West must absolutely defend.

Islamabad, Between Realpolitik and Chronic Ambiguity

Pakistan, a Western Ally With Fluctuating Loyalty

Pakistan, which confirmed its presence at the funeral according to CNBC, occupies a particularly ambiguous position on the regional geopolitical chessboard. Officially a partner of the West on certain security matters, Islamabad simultaneously maintains close ties with Tehran and Beijing, illustrating a foreign policy driven above all by regional survival calculations rather than by any coherent alliance of values.

This Pakistani presence at the funeral shouldn't be read as a mere gesture of religious courtesy toward a neighboring Shia-majority country: it fits into a broader logic of carefully managing relations with an Iran that shares a long and unstable border with Pakistan.

A Realpolitik That Fools No One in Washington

This chronic Pakistani ambiguity isn't new and will keep fueling Washington's distrust of Islamabad, a country perpetually trying to have it both ways between its Western partners and its authoritarian neighbors, never clearly picking a side.

The contrast with the notable absence of any Gulf Arab government having officially confirmed the presence of senior officials, according to CNBC, further underscores how even some regional neighbors prefer to keep their public distance from this regime.

The Notable Absence of the Gulf Monarchies

A Silence That Speaks Louder Than China's Presence

It's worth noting, conversely, that no Gulf Arab government has publicly announced the participation of foreign ministers or heads of state at the funeral, according to CNBC. This silence, in a region where diplomatic protocol is usually scrutinized closely, is itself a political message.

These Gulf monarchies, which have nonetheless pursued cautious rapprochement with Tehran in recent years, appear to have chosen not to publicly associate themselves with this tribute, likely well aware of the message that would send to their own Western partners.

A Revealing Contrast About Real Alliances

This contrast between the visible presence of China and Pakistan and the cautious restraint of the Gulf monarchies fairly clearly maps out today's geopolitical fault lines: on one side, an openly authoritarian axis; on the other, regional powers that prefer to preserve their relations with the West rather than display an embarrassing closeness to the Iranian regime.

This diplomatic configuration confirms once again that the world doesn't simply divide between East and West, but rather between those willing to lend credibility to repressive regimes out of self-interest and those who, out of caution or conviction, choose to keep their distance.

A Display of Power More Than a Sincere Mourning

A Political Event Disguised as a Religious Ceremony

"This is fundamentally a political event presented as a religious event. It is designed to project legitimacy at home and deterrence abroad," summarized Alex Vatanka, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, quoted by CNBC. This analysis deserves to be taken seriously by anyone watching this funeral through a critical Western lens.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, for her part described the event as a "carefully choreographed display of mourning, continuity, and regime control," adding that it "could reveal tensions beneath the surface."

A Regime Seeking to Project a Strength It May No Longer Have

The sheer logistical scale of the event, with attendance estimates reaching 20 million people in Tehran according to Mayor Alireza Zakani, and between 8 and 10 million people for the final burial in Mashhad, is clearly meant to demonstrate a national cohesion that the country's economic and social reality largely contradicts.

Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the Crisis Group, summarized the challenges ahead: "Now come the challenges of governance, including deep economic problems, significant social discontent, the specter of renewed hostilities, and a relatively inexperienced and still-invisible new supreme leader."

Mojtaba Khamenei, the Invisible Successor

A New Supreme Leader Who Has Yet to Show His Face

The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the former leader, hasn't been seen in public since taking power after his father's death, according to CNBC. This lack of public visibility, unusual for a newly installed head of state, is fueling speculation about how solid his actual position is within Iran's security and religious apparatus.

Any public appearance by him during these funerals would be immediately read as a show of strength aimed at the United States and its allies, in a context where the succession at the top of the regime remains shrouded in opacity rarely seen even by Iranian standards.

The Troubling 2024 Precedent in Tehran

The security context of these funerals recalls a disturbing precedent: during the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian in July 2024, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a military-run residence in Tehran, according to CNBC. The Iranian regime obviously hopes to avoid another major security breach as foreign dignitaries flock into the country.

This persistent security vulnerability, even at the heart of the Iranian capital, illustrates the real limits of the territorial control this regime claims to have, despite the massive resources deployed for this event.

The Human and Logistical Cost of an Outsized Funeral Choreography

An Entire Country Mobilized for Six Days

The logistics of this event mobilize the entire Iranian state apparatus: schools, mosques, universities, and gyms converted into makeshift shelters, highways turned into temporary parking lots, disrupted flights, and strictly controlled access to major cities, according to CNBC.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is overseeing unprecedented security measures, while the Basij paramilitary militia coordinates logistics, lodging, and crowd management across all the cities involved.

Resources Diverted From a Population Already Suffering

This massive mobilization of public resources, in a country already facing a severe economic crisis, runaway inflation, and chronic shortages, reveals the real priorities of a regime that would rather fund a funeral display of power than invest in the well-being of its own people.

This contradiction between the displayed pomp of these funerals and the daily hardship of ordinary Iranians should, logically, fuel public anger rather than sincere mourning, even if the regime obviously hopes for the opposite.

What the Funeral Route Reveals About the Geography of Shia Power

From Tehran to Mashhad, by Way of Iraq

The funeral route, starting at the Mosalla prayer complex in Tehran, continuing to Qom, the spiritual center of Shia learning, then crossing the border into Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before concluding in Mashhad, maps out a precise picture of Shia religious and political influence in the region, according to CNBC.

This symbolic crossing of the Iraqi-Iranian border, coordinated with authorities in Baghdad, also illustrates Tehran's lasting influence over certain segments of the Iraqi political apparatus, a direct legacy of decades of Iranian regional interference.

Mashhad, Birthplace and Family Tomb

Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace and the resting place of his father, the previous ayatollah, carries deep religious significance for millions of Shia pilgrims around the world, home to the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth imam of Shia Islam.

This choice of burial site, far from incidental, permanently anchors Khamenei's legacy in the regime's religious dynastic continuity, a clear message to the Iranian population about the intended permanence of this theocratic line of power.

What the West Must Take From This Moment

Never Confuse Protocol With Moral Validation

For Western democracies, this funeral moment should serve as a clear reminder: certain countries' participation in protocol ceremonies should never be confused with moral validation of the honored person's legacy. Diplomacy has its codes, but history remembers the facts.

Khamenei's legacy will remain that of a regime that repressed its own people, funded regional terrorism, and pursued a threatening nuclear program, no matter how many foreign leaders choose to bow before his coffin over the next six days.

An Opportunity to Tighten Western Ranks

This funeral also offers the West a valuable opportunity to tighten its own diplomatic ranks, by closely watching which countries choose to publicly honor this regime and adjusting bilateral relations accordingly, without excessive naivety about the real intentions of Beijing and its regional partners.

Western vigilance, now more than ever, must focus not only on the military actions of these regimes but also on these symbolic diplomatic gestures, which often reveal, with more clarity than any official speech, where international loyalties truly lie.

American Silence, a Calculated Caution

Washington Watches Without Public Comment

It's notable that the United States, the direct enemy in the war that cost Khamenei his life, has issued no major official comment on these funerals, preferring a posture of cautious restraint over adding further provocation in an already unstable region.

This American caution contrasts with the considerable media attention the Western press has given the event, revealing a diplomatic approach that prioritizes immediate regional stability over gratuitous rhetorical confrontation.

A Strategy That Deserves Nuanced Praise

This measured approach from Washington, which avoids further stoking tensions in a region already raw after months of open war, deserves recognition as a form of strategic maturity, even if it should never turn into indifference toward Tehran's persistent regional ambitions.

The balance between military firmness, already demonstrated during the conflict, and diplomatic restraint in this specific funeral moment reflects an American approach that can be praised without giving up vigilance over the regime's nuclear program and regional ambitions.

What This Means for Western Allies in the Region

Israel on Permanent Alert

Israel, whose air force directly took part in the strikes that preceded Khamenei's death, will watch these funerals with particular vigilance, aware that the massive gathering of crowds and foreign dignitaries could also serve as cover for a strategic reshuffling of Iran's military and security command.

This Israeli vigilance, legitimate after months of direct confrontation, is a reminder that the region remains on edge, despite the death of the leader who historically embodied the most virulent hostility toward the Jewish state.

Gulf Allies Between Caution and Wait-and-See

For the West's Arab allies in the Gulf, this funeral period represents an opportunity to closely watch the real strength of the new Iranian leadership before adjusting their own regional policies, in a context where Khamenei's succession remains surrounded by considerable uncertainty about the regime's internal cohesion.

This collective caution among the West's regional partners reflects well the perceived fragility of the new Iranian leadership, a fragility Western allies would do well to monitor closely in the weeks following the July 9 burial.

Russia, Officially Absent but a De Facto Ally

Moscow and Tehran, an Already Well-Established Military Partnership

While Western media coverage has mostly focused on the Chinese and Pakistani presence, the already solidly established military partnership between Russia and Iran shouldn't be overlooked, particularly around drone deliveries used against Ukraine. This link, less visible in the protocol of these funerals, remains no less one of the most dangerous axes in today's global authoritarian architecture.

The strategic convergence between Moscow, Tehran, Beijing, and Pyongyang is precisely the kind of alliance the West must watch with the greatest vigilance, well beyond this particular week's funeral symbolism.

An Authoritarian Axis Strengthening Under the Cover of Religious Solidarity

This displayed solidarity among authoritarian regimes, whether it takes the form of arms deliveries, sanctions evasion, or protocol presence at funerals, draws an increasingly open common front against the rules-based international order the West has helped build since 1945.

Ignoring this strategic convergence just because it sometimes expresses itself through symbolic gestures rather than direct military action would be a dangerous misjudgment for Western decision-makers.

The Responsibility of Western Democracies to Name Things Clearly

Refusing Complacent Neutrality in the Face of Facts

Faced with this kind of event, Western media and political leaders have a responsibility to clearly name things rather than hide behind a façade of journalistic neutrality that, in practice, ends up normalizing diplomatic choices heavy with meaning.

Describing the Chinese and Pakistani presence at Khamenei's funeral as a mere protocol matter, without analyzing its real geopolitical significance, would deprive the Western public of essential information about the alliances that actually shape today's world.

A Demand for Clarity That Isn't Propaganda

This demand for clarity has nothing to do with Western propaganda: it's simply a matter of journalistic and editorial duty to place every diplomatic gesture in its real historical and strategic context, without indulgence toward any side.

It's precisely this clarity that this open letter seeks to offer, fully owning a pro-Western editorial line that doesn't claim to be neutral, but remains rigorously grounded in verifiable facts.

Conclusion: A Letter That Remains Open

What History Will Remember of This Moment

Dear leaders of Beijing and Islamabad, this letter probably won't change your decision to attend these funerals. But it will stand as testimony to a moment when history once again highlighted the fault line between those who choose to lend credibility to repressive regimes out of geopolitical self-interest and those who refuse that compromise.

Ali Khamenei's 36 years of rule left behind a legacy of domestic repression, funding of regional terrorism, and systematic hostility toward the West, a legacy that no funeral choreography, however impressive, and no presence of foreign dignitaries will ever erase.

A Call for Moral Clarity, Now More Than Ever

The West, despite its own imperfections, remains the camp that still offers people the ability to challenge their leaders, to vote freely, and to live without fear of systematic theocratic repression. This fundamental difference must continue to guide our moral judgment toward regimes like Tehran's, and toward those who choose to publicly associate with it.

This letter remains open, like the debate it raises, in the hope that the next generation of leaders, in China as in Pakistan, will one day choose to clearly side with freedom rather than the cynical realpolitik that guided their predecessors this week in Tehran.

By Maxime Marquette, columnist

Columnist's transparency note

Who I Am and My Acknowledged Biases

I'm a columnist, not a diplomat or an academic specialist on the Middle East. This open letter reflects a clearly owned editorial position: pro-Western, critical of the Iranian regime and of the powers that choose to diplomatically support it. I rely exclusively on facts reported by recognized media outlets and named experts, without inventing statements or testimonies.

I acknowledge that the open-letter format carries a deliberate rhetorical charge, but every fact presented in this text rests on a verifiable source cited at the end of the article.

What I Don't Know and My Method

I cannot predict how Iranian power will evolve after these funerals, nor how solid the new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei's position really is, which remains surrounded by uncertainty according to the experts cited in this article. My method is to document the confirmed facts about the foreign delegations and the course of the event, while clearly owning my critical interpretation of their geopolitical significance.

Sources

Primary sources

CNBC — Iran begins six-day funeral for Ayatollah Khamenei nearly four months after his death, July 4, 2026

Reuters — Iran says funeral for late Supreme Leader Khamenei to begin July 4, burial set for July 9, June 13, 2026

Secondary sources

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence — context on the Western posture toward Russia's authoritarian allies

Foreign Policy — analysis on the China-Iran-Russia geopolitical axes

Al Jazeera — regional coverage of the Middle East and Iranian dignitary funerals

The Guardian International — analysis on Chinese diplomacy in the Middle East