India to send senior officials to Ayatollah Khamenei's Tehran funeral

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who died on Feb. 28 in a U.S.-Israeli strike, will be laid to rest in a series of ceremonies in Tehran from July 4 to July 9. The Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but Modi will not attend due to a packed overseas schedule that includes trips to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. Instead, the Indian government will be represented by Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita. The delegation will take part in the public viewings at the Grand Mosque complex, the processions through Tehran and Qom, and the burial in Mashhad. Several other regional leaders are also expected to attend, underscoring the diplomatic significance of the event for India‑Iran relations.