Iran Invites PM Modi to Ayatollah Khamenei's State Funeral in July

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has extended an official invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the multi-city funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in an airstrike on February 28, according to reports. The invitation was formally submitted to India's Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday via the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi, sources confirmed.

The funeral ceremonies are scheduled to begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with Khamenei's burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9. The event was initially planned for March but was postponed due to ongoing hostilities.

Prime Minister Modi and President Pezeshkian last met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. The invitation marks a significant diplomatic gesture amid India’s traditionally balanced ties with Iran and Western nations.

India has maintained a historically warm relationship with Iran, particularly in energy and trade, while also cooperating with the US and Israel in areas like defence and technology. The invitation is seen as a test of India's neutral stance in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei, 86, had served as Iran’s supreme leader since 1989. His death has been attributed by Iranian officials to a joint US-Israeli airstrike, though the claim has not been independently verified. The funeral is expected to draw world leaders, though attendance remains uncertain given geopolitical tensions.

Prime Minister Modi has not yet publicly responded. Diplomatic sources suggest India is weighing the invitation carefully, balancing its strategic partnerships with Iran, the US, and Israel. The Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment.