Shafaq News- Tehran

The United States launched a diplomatic campaign to discourage countries from attending a memorial ceremony for Iran's slain leader, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Friday, citing an Iranian senior source.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a confidential directive on June 26 instructing US embassies and diplomatic missions to inform host governments that Washington would consider their participation in the event an "unfriendly act" that could negatively affect bilateral relations, the source claimed.

This pressure prompted at least 13 countries, including three from Eastern Europe, five from Africa, two Arab Gulf states, and two East Asian countries, to skip the ceremony, while one North African country reportedly downgraded the level of its delegation over concerns about the impact on its ties with Washington, the sources said.

The United States has not publicly commented on these allegations.

Eight heads of state and 12 parliament speakers arrived in Tehran to participate in the ceremony, along with top officials from Malaysia, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Tunisia, Senegal, India, Argentina, and Mexico. International delegations continue to arrive through Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini International Airports.