Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will attend the funeral ceremony of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian sources. The two leaders are expected to represent the Government of India at the state funeral, which will be held in Iran between July 5 and July 9. However, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian government regarding the visit.
PM Modi also invited, no official confirmation yet
Diplomatic sources have said that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremonies. So far, New Delhi has not confirmed whether the Prime Minister will attend the event.
The funeral ceremonies will take place in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad. The events are scheduled for July 5, 6 and 7, while the final ceremony will be held in Mashhad on July 9. Officials expect millions of people to attend the ceremonies. Reports suggest that nearly 20 million mourners could gather across the three cities, making it one of the largest funerals in Iran's history if the estimates prove correct.
The funeral was originally expected to be held in early March but was postponed due to the conflict in the region. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led Iran 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 role of Iran's Supreme Leader on March 8. However, his health has remained the subject of speculation after some senior US officials claimed that he is in a coma. Iran has not officially confirmed these claims.
Meanwhile, the regional situation has changed significantly in recent weeks. Iran and the United States have agreed to move forward with a peace process after months of conflict. Both sides have signed separate digital memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and negotiations aimed at reaching a long-term agreement are continuing in Switzerland.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also visited Pakistan this week, where he held talks with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. The discussions focused on regional peace, security and the ongoing diplomatic efforts following the recent US-Iran talks.
Also Read: Iran President invites PM Modi to attend Ali Khamenei's state funeral from July 5 to 9: Sources
