Iran eyes India at key moment, reportedly invites PM Modi to attend Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral

A media report on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited by the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to attend the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The invitation was reportedly extended during a recent telephonic conversation between Pezeshkian and PM Modi, during which the two leaders also discussed the evolving situation in West Asia.

The funeral ceremonies for Khamenei will commence on July 4 and conclude with his burial in Mashad on July 9. Iranian state media has also reported that a separate ceremony will be held in the holy city of Qom on July 7.

Khamenei, who served as Iran’s Supreme Leader for 36 years, was killed during Israeli and US strikes on Tehran on February 28. His death marked a significant development in the region’s political landscape and triggered a leadership transition in the Islamic Republic.

The funeral is expected to draw millions of mourners from across Iran, along with several foreign dignitaries. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also expected to attend the ceremonies.

The reported invitation to PM Modi underscores India’s importance as a major regional power with longstanding diplomatic, economic and strategic ties with Iran. Any Indian representation at the funeral is likely to be closely watched amid shifting geopolitical equations in West Asia.

The report further said the invitation comes as Iran prepares for one of the most significant state events in its recent history following Khamenei’s death and the elevation of his son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, as the country’s new Supreme Leader.