Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the state funeral of the Islamic Republic’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Ali was killed in the US and Israeli strikes on February 28 but his burial could not be held due to the war.
With a temporary peace deal now signed and negotiations for a permanent agreement currently underway in Switzerland, Tehran will hold a multi-day funeral scheduled to begin on July 4.
The rituals will include events in Qom, a holy city south of Tehran, on July 7 and will conclude with his final burial on July 9 in his hometown, the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
The official invitation to PM Modi is seen as a significant breakthrough in diplomatic ties between India and Iran.
Nearly a week after Ali Khamenei’s death, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had gone to Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to sign the official condolence book.
The state funeral is anticipated to draw close to 20 million mourners across Tehran, Mashhad, and Qom. A large number of foreign dignitaries, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are expected to attend the ceremonies.
If the projected turnout is met, it will break the record of 10 million attendees set during the 1989 funeral of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Following the event, the late leader’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, took charge as the Supreme Leader of Iran on March 8.
However, widespread speculation continues to surround his current health and exact location, with prominent US officials, including Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, stating that he is presently in a coma.
The invite arrives amidst a cooling of geopolitical tensions. Following months of severe conflict that disrupted global energy lines and triggered a major fuel crisis, Iran and the United States have agreed to a peace framework.
President Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump have separately signed digital Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), and structured, long-term peace negotiations are currently underway in Switzerland.
(With inputs from agencies)