Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to sources cited by India Today TV.
Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies are scheduled to begin on July 4 and are expected to conclude with his burial in Mashhad, his birthplace in northeastern Iran, on July 9.
The 86-year-old was killed on February 28, on the first day of Israeli and US airstrikes on Tehran. He had led the Islamic Republic for 36 years as its Supreme Leader.
State media said the funeral will also include ceremonies in Qom, a major holy city south of Tehran, on July 7.
Although Islamic tradition generally calls for burial soon after death, typically within a day, exceptions can be made during extraordinary circumstances such as war. Reports have varied on the timing, with earlier speculation suggesting a June burial before it was officially set for July.
The event is expected to draw large crowds, with some estimates suggesting up to 20 million mourners across Tehran, Mashhad, and Qom. Officials from several countries, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are also expected to attend. If accurate, the turnout could surpass the 10-million attendance record set during the 1989 funeral of Iran’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, has reportedly been acting in a leadership role since March 8, though there are ongoing claims and speculation from some US officials about his health and condition.
Meanwhile, reports also reference broader diplomatic developments, including a peace agreement between Iran and the United States after months of conflict, with ongoing negotiations said to be continuing in Switzerland.
