India will send a high-level delegation to represent the country at the state funeral and burial ceremonies of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita coming to New Delhi on behalf of the country.
The decision comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been formally invited by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to attend the funeral ceremonies. However, the Prime Minister will not be able to attend as he is going to Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia during the same time period. The overseas tour had been finalised before Iran extended the invitation.
President Pezeshkian invited Prime Minister Modi last week after the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed by a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28. The funeral ceremonies were postponed due to the regional conflict and security situation. They are now scheduled for several days in July across several cities in Iran.
According to the official schedule released by Iranian authorities, the state funeral will begin on July 4, when Khamenei's body will lie in state at Tehran's Grand Mosalla complex, where thousands of mourners and foreign dignitaries will pay their final respects.
Public processions are expected in Tehran and the holy city of Qom, and memorial prayers are planned in the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, in line with Khamenei's religious and political influence on the Shia world.
The final burial ceremony is scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown and one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. Iranian authorities expect leaders, diplomats and religious figures from across the Middle East, Asia and other parts of the world to attend the multi-day ceremonies.
India's delegation will represent New Delhi at a time when the two countries are in the midst of robust diplomatic, economic and strategic relations. With geopolitical concerns and changing regional dynamics, India and Iran have been in good cooperation in the fields of energy, connectivity and regional security and the Chabahar Port is an important aspect of bilateral cooperation.
India’s involvement in the funeral is an indication of the importance that New Delhi attaches to relations with Tehran and of the commitments made by the Prime Minister, said officials. Senior officials from the Government of India will also come to express their condolences on behalf of the Indian leadership and people.
The funeral ceremonies are likely to draw global attention as world leaders and senior government officials come together in Iran to honor one of the country's most influential political and religious figures, whose leadership shaped Iran's domestic politics and regional foreign policy for more than three decades.
