Iranian TV Broadcasts Megawati's Condolences on Khamenei's Death

Iranian television has broadcast a message of condolence from the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Indonesia’s fifth president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The information was disclosed by the Iranian Embassy via its verified account on X. According to the embassy, Megawati’s statement was translated and aired by Iran’s Channel One with Persian subtitles. In her statement, Megawati said that as a friend of the Iranian people, Khamenei’s death had shaken the hearts of many who love justice, national sovereignty, and humanity across the globe. She noted that for her personally, Khamenei was not merely a political or religious leader known for being patriotic and never surrendering. Megawati saw in Khamenei an echo of the struggle pioneered by her father, Indonesia’s first president Sukarno, adding that Khamenei had known and admired Sukarno’s thinking since his youth. She explained it was therefore unsurprising that Khamenei helped formulate Iran’s path as a synthesis of national religion and social justice, which also sought to create a world order free from the shackles of imperialism and colonialism. Megawati also recounted the moment of her visit to Iran to meet Khamenei. The broadcast by Iranian media is notable as it comes amid criticism that the Indonesian government was unresponsive and slow to arrange attendance at Khamenei’s funeral. The government initially planned to send only the ambassador, but later changed course and dispatched the Foreign Minister and the Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly, Ahmad Muzani.