Ayatollah Khamenei Funeral: Mehbooba Mufti, Salman Khurshid Among Indian Attendees In Tehran

Tehran: The final farewell ceremony for Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will begin on Saturday (July 4), and preparations for it are in full swing. Delegations from various countries have begun arriving in Tehran. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, along with the Indian delegation, paid tribute to Supreme Leader Khamenei. 

Who attended the funeral?

Mehbooba Mufti was joined by Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who chairs the party's foreign affairs department, along with several other Shia leaders, who performed the Salat al-Janaza (funeral prayer) and prayed for the deceased. According to reports, more than 20 million people are expected to attend the funeral in Tehran. Funeral events will continue until July 9. Khamenei will then be buried in his hometown of Mashhad. 

Who will attend the funeral?

The funeral ceremonies of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which is scheduled from July 4 to July 9, will be attended by millions of mourners and several foreign dignitaries.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ceremony. According to Iranian sources, Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will attend the funeral ceremony on behalf of the Indian government. 

According to media reports, two major events will be held in Tehran on July 4 and 5 and conclude with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's burial in Mashhad, his birthplace and one of Shia Islam's holiest cities.

What happen to Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei?

Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli attack on February 28 and several other leaders were also killed, including his wife. His funeral will now take place after approximately four months. A series of funeral ceremonies will be held in Tehran in early July. This event will last approximately three to four days. 

Khamenei's funeral will begin on July 4 with a public funeral procession at Tehran's Grand Mosala Complex. Public processions will follow in Tehran and Qom. Prayers will be offered in Najaf and Karbala. Khamenei took charge of Iran after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

Ali Khamenei's funeral was originally scheduled for March. However, it was later postponed due to the protracted conflict between the US and Israel with Iran. Khamenei, 86, was holding a meeting at his compound in February when the US and Israel bombed it, killing him. The war between the US and Iran has continued ever since.