US Senator Rick Scott has questioned Pakistan’s role as a mediator in the US-Iran ceasefire agreement, accusing Islamabad of “hypocrisy” after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Tehran to attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Sharing a video of Sharif paying tribute to Khamenei, Scott criticised Pakistan’s historical record on terrorism and religious persecution and warned Islamabad that Washington was closely watching its actions amid diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict between the United States and Iran.

Rick Scott Questions Pakistan’s Role In US-Iran Mediation

Scott shared footage on social media platform X showing Sharif paying tribute to Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during the opening day of the US-Israeli military conflict with Iran.

In the video, the Pakistani Prime Minister described Khamenei as “a great scholar and leader whom millions of Muslims will remember”.

Sharif also said that “Pakistan and Iran will march together under all circumstances”.

Responding to the remarks, Scott questioned Islamabad’s credibility as a mediator in the US-Iran ceasefire agreement and urged the international community to remember Pakistan’s historical record.

“We need to remember who Pakistan really is in the middle of all this,” Scott said.

US Senator Targets Pakistan Over Terrorism And Religious Persecution

The US lawmaker cited the presence of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and accused Islamabad of selectively enforcing blasphemy laws against Christians.

“We’re talking about a country where bin Laden hid out for a decade, where they selectively enforce lopsided blasphemy laws to persecute Christians, and where the prime minister just praised the genocidal mass-murdering tyrant that used to run Iran,” Scott said.

The senator also questioned whether Pakistan was qualified to mediate between Washington and Tehran.

He said Islamabad was “no better qualified to ‘mediate’ this than the Hamas-harbouring Qataris”.

Issuing a warning to Pakistan, Scott added, “Islamabad should take note; we’re watching closely.”

Thousands Gather In Qom For Khamenei Funeral Ceremonies

Scott’s remarks came as tens of thousands of people gathered in the Iranian holy city of Qom on Tuesday for the fourth day of funeral ceremonies for Khamenei.

The former Supreme Leader’s remains are lying in state at the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, a major centre of Shia Islamic learning and home to prominent seminaries and religious institutions.

Aerial footage broadcast by Iranian state television showed large crowds gathered across the city, which has a population of around 1.5 million.

A prayer service at the mosque was led by Abdollah Javadi-Amoli, a 93-year-old conservative ayatollah.

During the ceremony, mourners chanted “death to America”.

Iranian state media also broadcast images of mourners and clerics paying tribute beside the coffins of Khamenei and four members of his family who were killed alongside him.

Among those killed was reportedly a 14-month-old granddaughter of the former Supreme Leader.

Khamenei Funeral Procession To Continue In Iraq Before Mashhad Burial

The gatherings in Qom followed a large funeral procession in Tehran on Monday, which authorities used to project internal stability following the war and anti-government protests that had shaken Iran six months earlier.

The turnout in Tehran drew comparisons with the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic.

Another funeral procession is scheduled to take place on Wednesday in neighbouring Iraq, which has a significant Shia population.

Khamenei, who led Iran for more than 30 years, is scheduled to be buried on Thursday in his northeastern hometown of Mashhad.

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