Meeting of IRGC and Proxy Forces on the Sidelines of Raeisi's Ceremony; Absence of Three Former Presidents at Funeral Prayer

While some remarks from current and former officials of the Islamic Republic regarding the death of Ebrahim Raeisi, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions have made headlines, state media claimed that "over 90" high-ranking officials and "60 high-level foreign delegations" traveled to Tehran to "pay their respects" to Raeisi. During the funeral and memorial ceremony for Raeisi and his companions, the IRNA news agency claimed that "230 journalists from 160 international media outlets" from various countries were present "on the ground" to cover the funeral of Ebrahim Raeisi and his companions who were killed in a helicopter crash. However, regardless of the truth of this claim, it remains unclear what significance the number of media outlets or journalists present holds for the coverage of this event. Additionally, according to official reports in Iran, some officials from neighboring countries who traveled to Iran for the funeral of Ebrahim Raeisi also met and discussed with Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, during their visit. The head of Hashd al-Shaabi, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas's office, the deputy head of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the spokesperson for Ansar Allah in Yemen were among the officials from regional militia groups who attended the memorial for Raeisi and Amir-Abdollahian, and some of them held meetings with Hossein Salami and Ismail Qaani during this trip. According to IRNA, they discussed the "latest political, social, and military situation in Gaza" as well as Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 and the role of militia groups. The holding of this meeting between the leaders of the Islamic Republic's proxy militia groups and military officials of the government comes at a time when some of these proxy groups are listed as terrorist organizations. For instance, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Foreign officials at Raeisi's ceremony included Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Foreign Minister, and Abdullah bin Saud Al-Anzi, the special envoy of King Salman, among others who were arranged by the Islamic Republic for foreign guests at the funeral of Ebrahim Raeisi and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. According to ISNA, the Emir of Qatar, the national leader of Turkmenistan, the President of Tunisia, the Prime Ministers of Iraq, Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Syria, the Speakers of the Parliaments of Lebanon, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Mali, Ethiopia, the Russian Duma, and the Speakers of the Legislative Council and the Supreme Council of Uzbekistan, the deputies of the Presidents of Turkey and India, and the deputies of the Prime Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, China, Serbia, and the Taliban group in Afghanistan were among the officials participating in the ceremony for Raeisi and Amir-Abdollahian, which took place in the "Leaders' Summit" hall in Tehran. Meanwhile, Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, protested on Thursday, May 3, against the UN General Assembly's tribute to Ebrahim Raeisi, calling the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran the "Butcher of Tehran." The presence of these foreign officials at the ceremony drew attention to the absence of Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Hassan Rouhani, three former Presidents of the Islamic Republic, at the funeral prayer for Ebrahim Raeisi. In reports on the presence of some current and former officials of the Islamic Republic at the funeral of Ebrahim Raeisi, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others killed in the crash, some officials' statements garnered attention. For instance, Ahmadreza Radan, the Chief of Police, stated in an interview with state television that Ebrahim Raeisi was "aware, justified, and in control in security matters." Ali Bahadori Jahromi, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's government, stated that Ebrahim Raeisi "did not see himself as anything other than a private soldier for the leadership," attributing the economic problems to the "failure to act" on Khamenei's words about a resistant economy, saying that "Raeisi felt this issue deeply and burned from this situation." During the funeral of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, several officials commented on him. For example, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, said that Amir-Abdollahian "received the response to his sincerity." Mohsen Qomi, the Deputy for International Communications at Ali Khamenei's office, also stated that Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was the Foreign Minister of the "Resistance Front and the Underprivileged Front." Additionally, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization, said that "Amir-Abdollahian's score in the negotiations was 20" and that "he did everything he could." Ali Larijani, the former Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and a member of the Expediency Council, described Amir-Abdollahian as "a seasoned diplomat" who "behaved prudently in the international arena." The Islamic Republic's state media confirmed the death of Ebrahim Raeisi, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Mohammad Ali Al-Hashim, Malek Rahmati, and other passengers of the crashed helicopter in the early hours of Monday, May 31. Meanwhile, the United States emphasized its continued support for the people of Iran in response to the deadly crash of the helicopter carrying Ebrahim Raeisi and several other officials of the Islamic Republic. Mehrzad Zarei: Our demand is the trial of regime officials, but I am sincerely happy. Senate Republicans called Ebrahim Raeisi the "Butcher of Tehran" and condemned the condolence message for his death; Blinken under pressure from criticism. A newspaper in Tehran criticized official accounts of the contact of the Imam of Tabriz after the "helicopter collided with the mountain." Khamenei's funeral prayers over the bodies of his appointees; from "praising" the loyal circle to "seeking forgiveness" for Hashemi Rafsanjani. Raeisi and his companions at the point of no return; Khamenei prayed over the body of his "valuable" president. Government pressure for public mourning; mandatory business closures to participate in Raeisi's "grief." Reuters: The European Union adds 10 new individuals and entities to the sanctions against the Islamic Republic.