India news: Indian delegation leaves for Khamenei's funeral
Published 07/03/2026 Published July 3, 2026 India sends delegation to Tehran for Khamenei's burial ceremony The governor of the state of Bihar, Syed Ata Hasnain
Published 07/03/2026 Published July 3, 2026 India sends delegation to Tehran for Khamenei's burial ceremony The governor of the state of Bihar, Syed Ata Hasnain, and Deputy Foreign Minister Pabitra Margherita left for Iran, where they will be officially representing India at the state funeral of Iran's former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other Indian dignitaries, including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Congress Party leader Salman Khurshid, paid tribute to Khamenei ahead of the formal state funeral in Tehran.
Mufti shared a video in a post on X and said, "An honour for me to be here in Tehran to express my deepest condolences & solidarity on the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei." In a statement on Thursday, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that Pabitra Margherita and Syed Ata Hasnain would visit the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 3 to attend the Khamenei.
"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 statement said. In addition to the delegation, Iran has invited several other dignitaries, including leaders from the opposition Congress Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leaders from Indian-administered Kashmir.
Iran had also invited Modi, but he won't be taking part as he is scheduled to leave for a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand on Monday.
