An Indian delegation has departed for Tehran to attend the state funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The delegation includes Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Deputy Foreign Minister Pabitra Margherita, who will officially represent India at the ceremony.

Other Indian dignitaries, including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Congress Party leader Salman Khurshid, paid tribute to Khamenei ahead of the formal state funeral. Mufti shared a video on X, stating, "An honour for me to be here in Tehran to express my deepest condolences & solidarity on the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei."

In a statement on Thursday, the Indian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Margherita and Hasnain would visit Iran on July 3 to attend the funeral. The ministry emphasized that "the high-level representation in the ceremony underscores the importance of civilisational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and economic engagements."

In addition to the official delegation, Iran invited several other figures, including leaders from the opposition Congress Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and leaders from Indian-administered Kashmir. Iran had also invited Modi, but he will not attend as he is scheduled to depart for a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand on Monday.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is in New Delhi on the second day of her three-day visit to India. On Thursday, she and Modi signed several agreements to boost cooperation in artificial intelligence, defense, and energy sectors. The two leaders also agreed to upgrade their economic partnership.

Source: www.dw.com