Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita are expected to represent India at the state funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian sources. The funeral ceremonies are scheduled to take place between July 5 and July 9 across Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.
While Iranian sources have indicated that the two Indian leaders will attend the ceremonies on behalf of the Government of India, there has been no official confirmation from New Delhi regarding the proposed visit.
Diplomatic sources have also stated that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremonies. However, the Indian government has not announced whether the Prime Minister will travel to Iran for the event.
The funeral programme will begin in Tehran on July 5, continue in Qom on July 6, followed by another ceremony in Tehran on July 7, before concluding with the final rites in Mashhad on July 9.
Iranian authorities expect an unprecedented public turnout, with estimates suggesting that nearly 20 million mourners could participate across the three cities, making it one of the largest funeral gatherings in the country's history if the projections materialise.
The funeral was initially expected to take place in early March but was postponed due to the security situation arising from the regional conflict.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who served as Iran's Supreme Leader for more than three decades, was killed on February 28 during large-scale US and Israeli air strikes on Tehran.
Following his death, his 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, assumed the position of Supreme Leader on March 8. However, his health has since become the subject of speculation after some senior US officials claimed that he had fallen into a coma. Iran has not officially confirmed those claims.
The funeral comes at a time of significant diplomatic developments in the region. In recent weeks, Iran and the United States have agreed to move forward with a peace process after months of conflict. Both countries have signed separate digital memorandums of understanding (MoUs), while negotiations aimed at reaching a long-term agreement are continuing in Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Pakistan this week, where he held discussions with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. The talks focused on regional peace, security and ongoing diplomatic efforts following the recent US-Iran negotiations.
With India maintaining close diplomatic ties with Iran while balancing its strategic partnerships in the region, the proposed participation of senior Indian representatives at the funeral is likely to be closely watched, although an official announcement from New Delhi is still awaited.cipate across the three cities, making it one of the largest funeral gatherings in the country's history if the projections materialise.
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