World stands with Iran in hour of grief

July 4, 2026

World’s top leaders, including of Pakistan, travelled to Tehran to mourn a friend and pay their last respects to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of Iran, who was killed in February when American and Israeli forces struck his compound on the first day of their war against Iran. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir led the Pakistani delegation, standing alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other top officials as the nation began seven days of mourning. This is more than a diplomatic visit. It is a message from the people of Pakistan to the people of Iran that their pain is shared. Ayatollah Khamenei led Iran for thirty six years, guiding his nation through some of its hardest and most dangerous times. His death was not natural. He was targeted and killed in an act of war, along with members of his own family. For a nation to lose its leader this way is a wound that does not heal quickly.

Yet even in grief, Iran has shown the world something powerful. Millions of ordinary Iranians are expected to gather in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad over the coming days, not out of fear, but out of loyalty and pride. This is the spirit of a nation that refuses to be broken by outside pressure. Iran’s leaders have made clear that their sovereignty is not for sale and their patience is not without limits. Pakistan has always valued its friendship with Iran, built on shared faith, shared history and shared neighbourhood. By sending its top civilian and military leadership to Tehran, Pakistan has shown that this friendship is real and lasting, not just words on paper. As talks between Washington and Tehran continue, the world will be watching closely. But this week belongs to remembrance. It belongs to a leader who is gone, to a family that lost its own, and to a nation standing tall despite everything it has endured. Pakistan salutes their courage and stands beside Iran in this difficult hour.