Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral: Who will represent India? Full list of government, BJP, Congress and other leaders

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sent a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremony of Ali Khamenei scheduled between July 4 and 9.

A protester holds a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest against US and Israeli attacks on Iran. (AP Photo)

By: Express Global Desk

5 min readNew DelhiJul 2, 2026 03:11 PM IST First published on: Jul 2, 2026 at 03:10 PM IST

The state funeral and farewell ceremonies for Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are slated to begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in Mashhad on July 9. Ahead of the funeral, the Iranian regime of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameini and President Masoud Pezeshkian, leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and other regional parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have received formal invitations to attend the ceremony.

Last month, Pezeshkian also sent a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremony. However, The Indian Express has earlier reported that Modi is likely to visit Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand around the same dates, making it difficult for him to attend the burial events.

Khamenei, who ruled Iran for the past three decades, was killed in a US-Israeli air strike on Tehran on February 28, 2026. The burial was initially scheduled for March. However, it was postponed as the conflict escalated.

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Who will represent India at Khamenei’s funeral?

Bihar governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will represent India at Khamenei’s funeral, The Indian Express learnt. They will also be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of External Affairs, the report stated.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the party’s media and publicity wing head Pawan Khera, and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid have received an invitation for the burial ceremonies.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Khurshid said Kharge will not be able to attend the funeral ceremonies. The Congress president has, instead, nominated Khurshid to represent him and the party at the ceremony.

He said, “The Congress president is unable to go, and has specifically nominated me to represent him and the Congress party, which is what I will do. I will travel in the special flight that is going at 4 o’clock, and I hope to be there for all the events that are part of the burial ceremonies of Ayatollah Khamenei.”

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“There are invitations to many people, and I am not quite clear about who all might be going. Obviously, there is a problem of seats and the number of people who can be accommodated. But we have confirmed to the Iranian authorities that on behalf of the Congress party and the Congress president, I will be representing,” he added.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin has also received the invitation.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, moreover, is also on her way to Iran to pay final tributes to the slain Supreme Leader after receiving an official invitation to attend his funeral.

Confirming her presence at the funeral, Mufti told the news agency: “It is an immense honour for me and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive this invitation (from Iran). I will travel there to pay my last respects to the supreme leader.”

President of Jammu and Kashmir Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safavi, has confirmed the receipt of an invitation via WhatsApp and said he was looking forward to representing the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

In an interview with ANI, he said, “I will be present there to offer floral tributes on behalf of the entire community. I will carry the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir–the spirit of those who stood by the leader–and participate in the programme.”

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Khamenei’s funeral programme schedule

According to the programme, the farewell to the Supreme Leader will be held at Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla Complex in Tehran on July 3, with commemoration on July 4, and the funeral procession on July 6, PTI reported.

The burial ceremonies are slated to be held in Tehran and Qom on July 5th, 6th, and 7th, while the final burial ceremony will take place in the city of Mashhad on July 9, the report stated.

Besides India, leaders of China, Russia, Qatar, France and Pakistan have been sent formal invitations on behalf of Pezeshkian. Last Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a Pakistani delegation would also be attending the funeral, The Indian Express reported.