Iran invites PM Modi to Khamenei’s funeral; New Delhi yet to decide

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremonies of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to sources familiar with the matter.

However, New Delhi has not yet confirmed whether PM Modi will attend the ceremonies, which are scheduled to be held from July 5 to July 9.

Khamenei’s funeral

Khamenei, who led Iran for nearly three decades, was killed on February 28, the first day of large-scale US and Israeli air strikes on Tehran. His funeral was delayed for more than four months due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia and security concerns.

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The funeral will be held in Tehran and Qom on July 5, 6 and 7, followed by the final ceremony in Mashhad on July 9.

According to Islamic traditions, burials are generally carried out within 24 hours of death. However, Khamenei’s funeral arrangements were postponed due to the war situation and regional instability.

India yet to decide

The invitation was reportedly sent by the Iranian government to PM Modi on Tuesday (June 23), with New Delhi yet to take a final decision.

Khamenei was killed along with his daughter, son-in-law and a grandchild during the joint Israel-US military strikes on February 28. His son Mojtaba Khamenei later succeeded him as Iran’s Supreme Leader on March 8, 2026.

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India had expressed condolences following Khamenei’s death, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visiting the Iranian embassy to sign the condolence book on behalf of the government. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

US-Iran war

The invitation comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. On June 17, 2026, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding in Switzerland, outlining a 60-day roadmap aimed at ending the four-month-long conflict.

Meanwhile, questions had earlier emerged over the health of Mojtaba Khamenei after intelligence reports in April claimed he was either incapacitated or in a coma in Qom. Trump had publicly speculated about his condition, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later dismissed the reports in June, saying US intelligence assessments indicated that Mojtaba was alive.

(With agency inputs)