Coinciding with the funeral ceremonies for its late leader, Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic has invited a cohort of non-Iranian influencers and social media activists with a history of backing the regime’s policies to cover the event. The move is viewed as a continuation of the state’s strategy to leverage foreign figures to reproduce and broadcast its official narrative across global media and digital platforms.
Among the foreign figures present at the ceremonies are Bushra Sheikh, a British-Pakistani influencer; Salman Haddad, a Lebanese media activist; Ehsan Asif, a Pakistani journalist; Hussein Farhat, a Lebanese journalist; Sakina Dattoo, a British media activist; Mohamed Ahmeid, a Libyan journalist; and Zael Brai, a media activist from the Balkans. State-aligned media outlets, including the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency, have repeatedly amplified videos featuring these individuals.
Over recent years, members of this group have consistently supported the Islamic Republic’s domestic and foreign policy objectives, including its regional proxy strategy, the Gaza conflict, and its confrontation with Israel and the United States, either by traveling to Iran or producing tailored content online. Several have previously appeared on Iranian state television programs or attended international conferences organized by the establishment.
