Iran President Invites PM Modi to Khamenei’s Funeral, New Delhi Yet to Respond

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the multi day state funeral and burial ceremonies of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , diplomatic sources said on Wednesday, while New Delhi has not yet confirmed its response.

Reports indicate the ceremonies are likely to take place from July 4 to July 9 , spanning multiple cities across Iran and Iraq. Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, was killed on February 28 during intense US and Israeli air strikes on Tehran, with the funeral delayed amid a prolonged forty day conflict period.

According to the official programme, Khamenei’s body will lie in state from July 4 at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex , followed by public processions in Tehran and the holy city of Qom. Memorial prayers are also scheduled at the revered shrines of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before the final burial on July 9 at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, his hometown.

Authorities are preparing for an exceptionally large turnout, with estimates suggesting millions of mourners may participate, potentially surpassing the scale of past historic funerals in Iran.

Iran has extended invitations to a wide range of countries, with delegations from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Russia, China , and several Central Asian states expected to attend. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is among the confirmed foreign leaders, following recent high level talks between President Pezeshkian and Pakistan’s leadership in Islamabad on regional security and cooperation.

India’s diplomatic engagement with Iran has remained active throughout the crisis period. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to sign the condolence book after Khamenei’s death. During the conflict phase, Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held multiple rounds of discussions with Iranian counterparts, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting and met both leaders.

Diplomatic precedent suggests India may again opt to send a senior delegation instead of the Prime Minister. Following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in 2024, India declared a day of national mourning and sent then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to lead its delegation in Tehran.

For now, it remains unclear who will represent India at the upcoming ceremonies, as the government continues to evaluate Tehran’s invitation and the broader diplomatic considerations involved.