Bihar Governor, MoS Margherita to represent India at funeral ceremony of Ali Khamenei in Iran

NEW DELHI: Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will represent India at the funeral ceremony of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei next month, Iranian sources said.

According to the Iranian sources, the two dignitaries are expected to attend the funeral ceremonies in Iran on behalf of the Government of India, marking New Delhi’s official representation at the event. Khamenei was killed in the US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

“Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita to attend the funeral ceremony of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on behalf of the Indian government,” the sources said.

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian had earlier sent a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremonies for Khamenei.

On Saturday, Iranian state media Press TV reported that authorities in the Islamic Republic announced detailed arrangements for the two-day public farewell and funeral ceremonies of the late leader, with officials expecting one of the largest public gatherings in the country’s history.

In a televised interview, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Tehran Command, Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, who is also the head of the headquarters overseeing the funeral arrangements, said the ceremonies would be held on July 4 and 5 and include public farewell events, funeral prayers and a funeral procession.

According to Press TV, citing Hassanzadeh, the public farewell ceremony will begin at 6 am (local time) on July 4 at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Prayer Grounds, which will open to mourners from that time onwards. He said the venue would not permit public access before the scheduled opening, while the farewell ceremony would continue until 8:00 pm (local time). Funeral prayers have been scheduled for the morning of July 5.

Hassanzadeh said two main ceremonies have been planned in Tehran, with the first comprising the public farewell and funeral prayers at the Imam Khomeini Grand Prayer Grounds and the second involving the funeral procession at a separate location, as reported by Press TV.

The IRGC commander said authorities had decided against using a single procession route after technical assessments concluded that no individual street in Tehran could safely accommodate the anticipated turnout.

Instead, he said the procession would move along a broader corridor across the capital, with vehicle access restricted within the ceremony zone to facilitate public movement. He said organisers had finalised the location where the body of the late Leader would lie in state, while a designated seating area for the Leader’s family had also been prepared.

According to Hassanzadeh, the platform has been positioned at an elevated location to ensure visibility throughout the Prayer Grounds. He added that internationally recognised Qur’an reciters, religious poets, eulogists and cultural and religious groups would participate in the official programme during the 48-hour farewell ceremonies.

Providing details of logistical preparations, Hassanzadeh said executive agencies, municipal authorities, healthcare providers, military and law enforcement organisations, cultural institutions and public service bodies had all been mobilised for the event.

He said Tehran’s metro network and municipal bus fleet would operate at full capacity to transport mourners, while authorities had established multiple traffic-control zones from the entrances of Tehran to the Prayer Grounds, along with reception facilities for visitors arriving by both public transport and private vehicles.

He further said five dedicated service centres would operate around the Prayer Grounds, offering drinking water, meals, medical assistance, sanitation facilities, prayer areas and other welfare services for participants.

On expected attendance, Hassanzadeh said planning had been based on maximum-capacity scenarios, with preliminary estimates projecting between 12 million and 15 million participants, while some assessments suggested the turnout could reach as high as 20 million.

Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, earlier this year, leading to a widespread conflict in the West Asia region.

Earlier this month, the US and Iran agreed to a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in the region and opening a 60-day dialogue window for technical talks, including discussions over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Following Ali Khamenei’s death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. (ANI)