Iran has also invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the state funeral and burial ceremony for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which is expected to be among the largest political and religious events in the region in recent years. A multi-day farewell ceremony for the leader who has shaped Iran’s political and strategic direction for nearly four decades has opened today in Tehran.
According to Iranian authorities, the ceremonies will begin on July 4 with Khamenei's body lying in state at Tehran's Grand Mosalla complex. Public processions will take place in Tehran and Qom and prayers are to be held in Iraq's revered cities of Najaf and Karbala.
The last funeral will take place on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown. Many millions of mourners are expected to go to the ceremonies and delegates from many countries are expected to attend.
While India has received a formal invitation, it is not clear who will represent New Delhi at the funeral. But when Khamenei died, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri attended the Iranian embassy in New Delhi and signed the condolence book on behalf of the Government of India. It was in line with India's long-standing diplomatic relationship with Iran, a country that New Delhi believes is part of its extended neighbourhood because of the long-standing relationship of cultural, historical and civilizational ties.
India has maintained good diplomatic relations with Iran in recent months with West Asia at stake. Both Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar have had several talks with Iranian leaders during periods of regional instability. Recently, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi came to New Delhi for BRICS-related talks and held separate talks with Modi and Jaishankar. Senior Iranian officials have also made several visits to India in connection with regional diplomacy and multilateral meetings.
So far, there has been a lot of attention to the invitation as it follows the example set after the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in 2024. The Indian government declared a day of national mourning, lowered flags to half-mast and sent then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to meet the Indian delegation at the funeral ceremony in Tehran. So far it is unclear if India will send another high-level delegation.
Iranian state media report that invitations have been extended to a wide range of countries, especially regional neighbours and strategic partners. Representatives are expected from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, China and several Central Asian countries. And the ceremonies are likely to become a major diplomatic event where political leaders, religious figures and government representatives from the world are expected to come together as Iran bids farewell to one of the most influential figures in its modern history.
