Bihar Governor, MoS to represent India at Khamenei funeral
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Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita are expected to represent India at the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to media reports on Monday, June 29.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the ceremonies, diplomatic sources said. However, New Delhi has not yet confirmed whether the Prime Minister will travel to Iran.
The funeral rites are scheduled to begin on July 4, with Khamenei’s body set to be placed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, allowing members of the public to pay their respects. Processions are expected to be held in Tehran and the holy city of Qom, while prayer services will also take place in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.
The burial is scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown. The funeral ceremonies, which were originally planned for March following his death in a US-Israeli air strike on Tehran on February 28, were postponed due to the ongoing regional conflict.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iran’s Assembly of Experts selected his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor. The appointment marks the first time Iran’s highest political and religious office has been transferred directly from father to son. Reports indicate that Mojtaba remains at a secure location after reportedly being injured during the conflict and has had limited interactions with senior state officials.