Indian delegation leaves for Khamenei’s funeral

Governor of the Indian state of Bihar Syed Ata Hasnain and Deputy Foreign Minister Pabitra Margherita left for Iran, where they will officially represent India at the state funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Congress party leader Salman Khurshid, along with other Indian dignitaries, paid tribute to late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of his formal state funeral in Tehran.

Mufti shared a video in a post on X and said, “It is my honor to be in Tehran to express my deepest condolences and solidarity over the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.”

In a statement on Thursday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said Pabitra Margherita and Seyed Ata Hasnain will visit the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 3 to attend Khamenei.

“The high-level representation at the ceremony underlines the importance of civilizational ties, including people-to-people ties, between the two countries, which provide a strong foundation for political and economic engagement,” the ministry statement said.

Apart from the delegation, Iran has invited several other dignitaries, including leaders of the opposition Congress Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leaders of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Iran had also invited Modi, but he will not attend as he is scheduled to leave on Monday for a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.

Good morning! This is Midhat from the New Delhi bureau, bringing you the latest developments in and about India.

Several prominent political figures from India are visiting Iran to attend the state funeral of its slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Indian delegation has left for the official burial ceremony in Tehran.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is in the capital on the second day of her three-day visit to India.

On Thursday, he and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi signed several agreements to boost cooperation between India and Japan. These agreements included huge investments in artificial intelligence, defense and energy sectors. The pair have also agreed to upgrade their economic partnership.

After Takaichi’s visit, the Indian leader will turn his attention to his upcoming visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand next week.

Stay tuned as we bring you all this and more.