Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not appear publicly at the funeral of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, due to the current security situation, according to his representative in India.
In an exclusive interview with India Today's Foreign Affairs Editor Geeta Mohan, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi said the decision was made because of security concerns amid ongoing tensions with Israel ahead of the state funeral.
Elahi stated that the funeral would go ahead despite what he called threats from Israel and said the event was expected to attract attendees from across the globe.
"The whole world will be attending it," Elahi said, adding that Israel's threats were "not good" but would not stop the ceremony from taking place.
Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, also noted that many people in India were interested in attending the funeral.
"So many people from India want to attend the ceremony," Fathali said.
The comments come as Iran continues its preparations for the funeral amid heightened regional tensions. Tehran has maintained that international participation will proceed as planned despite the security concerns.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
