Ali Nikzad said on Friday that more than 45 high-ranking foreign delegations had entered Iran, 12 of them at the parliamentary level.

He said Iran had not invited any European countries to attend the ceremonies.

The deputy speaker made the remarks at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport while welcoming foreign dignitaries and senior delegations arriving to pay their respects to the martyred Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

He said that “the magnificent farewell to a martyred Leader,” has foiled attempts by “global arrogance” to portray Iran as a weak and isolated nation.

He said US President Donald Trump believed Iran “would surrender within three days, but the greatness of the martyred Leader and the resistance of our people under the leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei forced the United States to back down.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated by the United States and Israel on the opening day of their joint 40-day war against Iran on February 28.

Delegations from nearly 100 countries, along with public figures and representatives of civil society organizations, are attending the funeral ceremonies, which began on Friday morning at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla ahead of a massive procession through the capital on Monday.

The late Leader is scheduled to be laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.

DID