New Delhi: The Indian government will send a high-level delegation to Iran to attend the funeral ceremonies of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to reports quoting government sources.
Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain will represent India at the funeral and related commemorative events, India Today reported on Monday, quoting sources.
Iranian President Invites PM Modi For Ayatollah Khamenei’s Funeral
The development comes days after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the state funeral and burial ceremonies of Ayatollah Khamenei, diplomatic sources cited by PTI.
Iran is set to hold week-long mourning and commemorative events from July 4 to July 9 across multiple cities in the country. The ceremonies will begin in Tehran, where Khamenei’s body is expected to lie in state at the Grand Mosalla complex on July 4 and July 5, allowing thousands of mourners and members of the public to pay their final respects.
A large state funeral procession is scheduled to take place on July 6 in Tehran, with authorities declaring public holidays across the province during the mourning period. Hassan Hassanzadeh, a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) overseeing arrangements, stated that farewell prayers and ceremonial tributes would be held before the burial procession.
Details Of Arrangements Ahead Of Funeral
Iranian authorities estimate that nearly 20 million people could participate in the ceremonies and related memorial events across the country. Following the Tehran ceremonies, commemorative events will continue in the religious cities of Qom and Mashhad.
A tribute ceremony is planned in Qom on July 7, while Ayatollah Khamenei is scheduled to be buried at the revered Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on July 9. Neighbouring Iraq will also host memorial events on July 8 in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala as part of the regional mourning observances.
India had earlier expressed condolences following Khamenei’s death. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had visited the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi and signed the condolence book on behalf of the Indian government.
