Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral begins in Iran: Who is representing India?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for more than three decades, died in a US-Israeli air strike on Tehran on February 28. Iran later postponed his burial as fighting in the region intensified. The state funeral began on July 4 and will conclude with his burial in Mashhad on July 9.

Sharing details of the visit, Margherita wrote on X, “Hon’ble @GovernorBihar and I represented India at the funeral ceremony for Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, former Supreme Leader of Iran, in Tehran. Conveyed our respects on behalf of the Government and the people of India.”

The Governor’s office also confirmed that the delegation conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during the recent conflict in West Asia. The Embassy of Iran in India shared visuals of the Indian representatives paying tribute at the ceremony and thanked them for attending the funeral on behalf of India.

Indian delegation at Ayatollah’s funeral

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremony. However, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 8 to July 11, due to which he could not attend the funeral personally.

The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier announced that Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State Pabitra Margherita would represent India at the ceremony. During his weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed India’s representation.

“As far as the Government of India is concerned… Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita are in Tehran today to represent India,” he said.

The MEA also said India’s participation reflected the close historical relationship between the two countries. “The high-level representation in the ceremony underscores the importance of civilisational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and economic engagements,” the ministry said in an earlier statement.

Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid attended the ceremony on behalf of the Congress party. People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti also travelled to Iran after receiving an official invitation from Iranian authorities.

Before leaving for Tehran, Mufti said, “It is an immense honour for me and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive this invitation. I will travel there to pay my last respects to the supreme leader.”

Timeline of funeral ceremony

Iran has planned six days of mourning ceremonies across different cities. The main funeral procession in Tehran is scheduled for July 6. Religious ceremonies will then take place in the holy city of Qom on July 7 before Khamenei’s body is taken to Mashhad, his birthplace, where he will be buried on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine.

Authorities have imposed extensive security arrangements during the mourning period. Several roads have been closed and restrictions have been placed on daily activities around key locations.

Trump postpones peace talk

The funeral ceremonies also took place as the United States marked 250th anniversary celebrations on July 4. Speaking at a large gathering at Mount Rushmore during the anniversary celebrations, US President Donald Trump referred to the military strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We knocked the hell out of Iran. They’re dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral because we’re nice,” Trump said.

Trump claimed Iran now wanted to end the conflict after suffering heavy losses in the war. He also used the occasion to project the US military campaign as a major success. Although Iranian authorities did not officially link the timing to the American celebrations, thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran, chanting slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Some participants also carried banners with anti-Trump messages.

During the same speech, Trump warned of what he described as a renewed threat to America’s identity. “As we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack,” Trump said. He accused left-wing “radicals and extremists” of trying to weaken the country’s values and added that there had been “an undeniable attempt to change this exceptional character, to beat the American spirit out of us, alienate us from our history.”