The grand funeral hosted by Iran’s Islamic Republic for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei saw millions participating in it, including delegates from other countries. But a gesture by Saudi Arabia has triggered a discussion on the diplomatic relations between the two nations.
While the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait chose not to send representatives to the ceremonies, Riyadh sent an official delegation on its behalf – a move that was interpreted as an attempt to keep a diplomatic channel open with Tehran, but also as one done with demonstrated caution.
The Saudi delegation came on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Walid al-Khariji. The composition of the delegation was seen by many as “technical” - far from the circle close to Crown Prince bin Salman. One that was intended to maintain the appearance of diplomatic relations. The fact that no senior representative was sent was a hint that Riyadh wants to send a clear message: There will be official participation, but at a low level.
Many Iranians also criticised the attire of the delegation, which arrived dressed in their traditional white thobe, rather than the dark clothes usually worn at official mourning ceremonies. Some on social media, both in Iran and Saudi Arabia, saw this as a deliberate symbolic message, rather than a protocol error.
A Saudi commentator wrote that Saudi Arabia sent a “low-level delegation” that appeared “in white robes – a colour reserved for holidays, weddings and happy occasions, not funerals. "A low-level delegation, dressed as if on its way to a celebration, arriving to express 'condolences'. This is perhaps the most elegant slap ever delivered in the guise of diplomacy between the two regional rivals,” Ayman Deen said.
Others were quick to offer explanations for this "fashion choice," which they saw as a historical nod: the colour white is associated with the Umayyad dynasty, the historical Shiite rival.
Many feel the funeral, which was supposed to serve Tehran as a regional and domestic show of force geo-politically, actually became an arena for subtle messages: implicit Saudi participation on the one hand and absence of other Gulf states on the other.
