Indonesia Upgrades Delegation to Khamenei's Funeral After Protocol Clarification
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono has provided clarification regarding the planned attendance of an Indonesian delegation at the funeral ceremony of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled for 9 July 2026. Indonesia is currently working towards the presence of a high-level delegation after previously intending to send only the Indonesian Ambassador to Iran.
Minister Sugiono explained that the initial decision to only send the Ambassador was based on urgent technical considerations. At the time the invitation was received, the Indonesian government was preoccupied with preparations for several domestic state visits involving key officials.
“We received notification regarding the event, and at that time, we stated that the representative would be the Indonesian Ambassador to Iran due to technical considerations. There were preparations for state visits in Indonesia, and key officials were unable to travel there,” Sugimos said in Jakarta on Monday (6/7).
However, the dynamics changed after Iranian authorities provided updated information regarding state guest reception protocols. The Iranian side confirmed that special access to the series of processions is only granted to officials with a rank above that of an ambassador.
Sugiono noted that confirmation regarding these access restrictions was only received on the 2nd. This prompted the government to immediately re-coordinate, given that the funeral procession is set to take place on Thursday (9/7).
Currently, the Indonesian government is awaiting certainty regarding the schedule and location from the Iranian authorities so that the delegation can arrive on time. “We are still waiting for an answer regarding the time and place where we can attend the ceremony, as there is a series of processions that must be followed,” he added.
The official Indonesian delegation is planned to be led directly by Foreign Minister Sugiono alongside the Speaker of the MPR RI. This attendance serves as a form of Indonesian diplomatic respect for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.