Inside Indian Delegation That Will Visit Iran For Supreme Leader's Funeral

Bihar Governor General Syed Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pavitra Margarita will be part of the Indian delegation at former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral ceremony in Iran, sources said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had earlier this month invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state funeral and the burial ceremonies for the top Shia cleric.

But PM Modi is unlikely to be part of the delegation.

One of Iran's longest-serving leaders, Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes on February 28, the first day of the Middle East war. His son Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him after his death.

Read: Iran Invites PM Modi To Former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's Funeral

The multi-day funeral ceremonies will begin on July 4 and conclude with Khamenei's burial on July 9, according to the Iranian state media. It will include rituals in the holy city of Qom on July 7 and other religious observances.

Iranian authorities expect millions of mourners to hit the streets over the six-day period starting July 4, making the funeral one of the closely tracked global events.

The ceremonies are being held following an interim peace deal between the US and Iran that started a peace process to resolve the differences between the two countries.

India and Iran maintain a long-standing partnership over the decades, with New Delhi keeping it ties with Tehran intact despite the geopolitical tensions during the war.

The foreign ministers of both sides exchanged numerous calls during this period. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited India for a meeting earlier this year, while other representatives visited India just a few weeks ago.