Khamenei funeral: Bihar Governor, MoS External Affairs to represent India
Khamenei, who was 86, was killed on February 28, the first day of Israeli and US airstrikes on Tehran.
- Jun 29, 2026,
- Updated Jun 29, 2026 3:14 PM IST
The Indian government will send Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain to Iran to attend the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, government sources told India Today TV.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral.
The funeral ceremonies will begin on July 4 and end with Khamenei's burial in Mashhad, the holy city in north-eastern Iran where he was born, on July 9.
Funeral across three holy cities
Khamenei, who was 86, was killed on February 28, the first day of Israeli and US airstrikes on Tehran. He had served as Iran's supreme leader for 36 years.
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According to Iranian state media, the funeral ceremonies will be held across three cities. The rites will begin in Tehran on July 4, followed by ceremonies in Qom, another holy city south of Tehran, on July 7.
Khamenei will be buried in Mashhad on July 9.
The date of his funeral had remained uncertain since his assassination in February. Under Islamic law, the dead are usually buried as soon as possible, ideally within a day of death, although exceptions can be made during war.
Early reports had suggested that Khamenei could be buried by the end of June, before Iranian state media confirmed the July schedule.
Millions expected to attend
The funeral is expected to draw nearly 20 million mourners across Tehran, Mashhad and Qom.
Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are also expected to attend.
If those estimates are met, the gathering could be larger than the nearly 10 million people reported to have attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in 1989.
Questions over Iran's new supreme leader
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, 56, has been serving as Iran's supreme leader since March 8.
However, questions over his health and whereabouts have continued, with several senior US officials, including Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, claiming that he is in a coma.
Iran-US peace talks continue
The developments come after Iran and the United States agreed to a peace deal following months of conflict that pushed West Asia into crisis and led to a global fuel and energy crunch.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump signed digital MoUs separately, while long-term peace talks between the two sides are continuing in Switzerland.
With funeral ceremonies set to take place from July 4 to July 9 across multiple Iranian cities, the events are expected to see a large international presence, including invitees such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, against the backdrop of continuing political developments in Iran and ongoing talks with the United States.
The Indian government will send Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain to Iran to attend the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, government sources told India Today TV.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral.
The funeral ceremonies will begin on July 4 and end with Khamenei's burial in Mashhad, the holy city in north-eastern Iran where he was born, on July 9.
Funeral across three holy cities
Khamenei, who was 86, was killed on February 28, the first day of Israeli and US airstrikes on Tehran. He had served as Iran's supreme leader for 36 years.
Don't Miss: PM Modi conferred Seychelles' 'Guardian of the Blue Horizon' honour
According to Iranian state media, the funeral ceremonies will be held across three cities. The rites will begin in Tehran on July 4, followed by ceremonies in Qom, another holy city south of Tehran, on July 7.
Khamenei will be buried in Mashhad on July 9.
The date of his funeral had remained uncertain since his assassination in February. Under Islamic law, the dead are usually buried as soon as possible, ideally within a day of death, although exceptions can be made during war.
Early reports had suggested that Khamenei could be buried by the end of June, before Iranian state media confirmed the July schedule.
Millions expected to attend
The funeral is expected to draw nearly 20 million mourners across Tehran, Mashhad and Qom.
Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are also expected to attend.
If those estimates are met, the gathering could be larger than the nearly 10 million people reported to have attended the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in 1989.
Questions over Iran's new supreme leader
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, 56, has been serving as Iran's supreme leader since March 8.
However, questions over his health and whereabouts have continued, with several senior US officials, including Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, claiming that he is in a coma.
Iran-US peace talks continue
The developments come after Iran and the United States agreed to a peace deal following months of conflict that pushed West Asia into crisis and led to a global fuel and energy crunch.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump signed digital MoUs separately, while long-term peace talks between the two sides are continuing in Switzerland.
With funeral ceremonies set to take place from July 4 to July 9 across multiple Iranian cities, the events are expected to see a large international presence, including invitees such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, against the backdrop of continuing political developments in Iran and ongoing talks with the United States.