India will have an official presence at Khamenei’s funeral, represented by Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, according to The Indian Express.
Iran has also invited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, and the party’s media and publicity head Pawan Khera to the burial ceremonies, as reported by The Hindu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been invited, although it is uncertain if he will attend the ceremonies in Iran.
Meanwhile, Art of Living founder Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has arrived in Tehran to take part in the state funeral, ANI reported.
Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the onset of the war on February 28, will lie in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla prayer complex starting Saturday. A significant funeral procession is planned for Monday, traversing the streets of Tehran.
The procession will then proceed to the sacred city of Qom on Tuesday, with ceremonies continuing in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday. Khamenei’s body is set to return to Iran on Thursday for burial in Mashhad, marking the conclusion of the six-day funeral events.
Numerous foreign delegations have begun to arrive in Tehran. A delegation from Lebanon’s Amal Movement has met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in anticipation of the funeral. This group is a notable ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Iranian authorities predict over 20 million attendees in Tehran for the funeral activities, which occur against a backdrop of increased tensions following the war and the leadership transition to Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
First Published: Jul 3, 2026 10:46 AM IST
