An official Indian delegation, comprising Bihar Governor, Lt Gen (Rtd) Syed Ata Hasnain, and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita arrived in Tehran today to represent India at the funeral ceremonies of late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Besides, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, senior Congress leader and former Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, and Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association President Imran Reza Ansari are also in Tehran for the funeral prayers.
Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli missile attack on February 28. Following months of delay due to the war, the funeral ceremonies are being held from July 4–9 across Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, with millions of mourners expected to participate.
Mehbooba Mufti and Imran Reza Ansari offered Fatiha and paid floral tributes to the late Iranian leader. They will be participating in the grand funeral of the Shia spiritual leader at Tehran, Qom and Mashhad in the next four days.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, in a post on X, described it as an honour to be in Tehran “to express my deepest condolences & solidarity on the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei- a revered leader who dared to stand against the tide & fought for the oppressed”.
Iran expects representatives from nearly 100 countries to attend various stages of the funeral, making it not only a national event but also a significant international gathering.
A Russian delegation led by senior leader and former president Dmitry Medvedev is in Iran to attend the funeral ceremony.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, and their delegation paid respects to Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Sharif also signed the condolence book.
The main funeral proceedings are expected to take place from July 4 to July 9 across several Iranian cities.
Videos on X showed senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti arriving at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla to pay their respects to the late Iranian leader.
Tasnim News agency shared a video on X, showing Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain offering funeral prayers, along with other members of the Indian delegation, at the Grand Mosalla.
The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, answering a query on the issue, said that Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, and MoS Pabitra Margherita, are in Tehran to represent India at the funeral of the Iranian Supreme Leader. “Apart from this, I have seen, and you must have seen as well, that several other people have also gone there to participate in the event.”
