Government cites protocol and timing issues for Maldives’ absence at Khamenei’s funeral

Maldives was scheduled to attend the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei but was unable to attend due to a last-minute change in protocol, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The Foreign Ministry said the Maldivian government had received an invitation to attend Khamenei's official funeral on July 3. The Iranian government had been officially informed that Maldives' ambassador to Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ahmad Sareer, would attend the ceremony.

However, the Iranian embassy informed the ambassador that he would not be able to attend the funeral at the ambassadorial level due to a change in protocol arrangements for foreign delegations, the ministry said.

Upon receiving this information, the government proceeded to send a person of the level of a State Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend the funeral.

However, the deadline for flights to Tehran was approaching and the state minister could only arrive in Tehran after the official part of the funeral, the ministry said.

The Iranian government has thanked Maldives for its decision to send a state minister.

The Foreign Ministry’s statement also said that Iran had suggested that a senior government official visit the country at a later date instead of traveling at this time.

The statement also says that the Foreign Minister of Maldives had sent a message of condolences to the Iranian Foreign Minister on behalf of the Government and people of Maldives on the death of the Supreme Leader of Iran.

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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs ???????? (@MoFAmv) July 8, 2026

Many have questioned why Maldives did not attend the funeral of such a globally recognized Islamic leader while states like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had. Former Minister Adam Shareef Umar had also previously attended the funeral of President Ibrahim Raisi on behalf of the Maldivian government.

The Foreign Ministry’s explanation, citing protocol changes, timing constraints and alternative arrangements, presents the government as attempting to manage diplomatic optics after a conspicuous absence that had already drawn public attention.