Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita are expected to attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to media reports on Monday, June 29.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremonies, according to diplomatic sources. However, New Delhi has not confirmed whether the Prime Minister will travel to Iran.
The funeral rites will begin on July 4, when Khamenei’s body will be placed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla for members of the public to pay their respects. Processions are expected in Tehran and the holy city of Qom, while prayer services will also take place in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.
The burial is scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown. The funeral ceremonies, originally planned for March following his death in a US-Israeli air strike on Tehran on February 28, were postponed because of the regional conflict.
After Khamenei’s death, Iran’s Assembly of Experts chose his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, to succeed him as Supreme Leader. The appointment marks the first time the country’s highest political and religious office has passed directly from father to son. Reports suggest Mojtaba remains at a secure location after reportedly being injured during the conflict and has had limited engagement with senior state officials.
