Pakistan stands with Iran, Sharif says at Khamenei funeral

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said his country stands with Iran as he attended the funeral of the Islamic Republic’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli bombing on Feb. 28. “Paid my respects and conveyed deepest condolences on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan to the government and brotherly people of Iran at the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shaheed Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei,” Sharif said on X.

High-level delegation

Sharif, along with a high-level delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran on Friday to attend the funeral ceremony. “The late Supreme Leader’s wisdom, leadership and profound influence on Iran and the wider region will be remembered for generations,” he said.

Mediation role

Pakistan has taken centre stage as it mediated between the US and Iran, which led to a ceasefire in April and the subsequent signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding last month. The memorandum brought a formal end to their months‑long war, amid continued allegations of ceasefire violations. Sharif’s presence at the funeral underscores Pakistan’s deep ties with Iran and its continued commitment to regional stability, even as it maintains its role as a mediator between Tehran and Washington.