Team Melli had defeated South Africa 21-4, Ukraine 16-14 and Portugal 15-11 in its previous matches but lost to Netherlands 18-7 in the semifinals.
Netherlands won the tournament with an 11-9 margin over Germany in the final.
The tournament was held in Istanbul, Turkey from December 18 to 21.
Netherlands and Germany qualified for the men's Water Polo World Cup 2025—Super Final, joining the six men’s teams that will be eligible through the Division 1 Tournaments.
The FINA 2025 World Aquatics Championships will take place in Singapore from July 11 through August 3, 2025.