India has sent a delegation to Iran to attend the state funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday.
Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita left for Iran, where they will officially represent India at the funeral.
Other Indian leaders, including former Chief Minister of Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK) Mehbooba Mufti and Congress leader Salman Khurshid.
Iran had also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but he will not attend. Indian media reports say that he is scheduled to leave on Monday for a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.
Indian media reports
Some reports say that India has not sent a high-level delegation to Iran to avoid upsetting Israel.
Indian media reports that India’s dilemma regarding Iran is that on one side are America and Israel are India’s major partners in sectors like trade, defence, and energy.
‘Soon, an India-US trade deal is going to happen. Israel has openly provided military support to India,’ the report further adds.
According to the Indian news website Bhaskar English reports, India doesn’t want to upset its partners, the United States (US) and Israel and also wants to maintain relations with Iran.
Therefore, when the war started, India did not openly condemn any of America, Israel, or Iran, the report further adds.
In addition to this, some netizens have also criticised the delegation sent to Iran.
#India do you see the inherent crudeness and ignorance of the Hindu nationalist . Wearing saffron-colored attire to a solemn Islamic funeral represents not merely a failure of diplomatic etiquette, but an ideological affront akin to a colonial-style insult. Iranian funerals are… https://t.co/Q8paYvKWK1 pic.twitter.com/Mhr4hXYz2f— Aprajita Nafs Nefes 🦋 Ancient Believer (@aprajitanefes) July 3, 2026
Besides the official delegation, Iran also invited several other Indian dignitaries. These included leaders from the opposition Congress Party, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and leaders from the IIOJK.
Field Marshal Asim Munir welcomed in Iran
Earlier today, the Chief of Defence Forces and the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral of Iran’s martyred former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He was received by Iran’s Interior Minister and welcomed by the country’s senior civilian and military leadership. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was also present there.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the Pakistani delegation, also arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei.
