Tehran [Iran], July 3 (ANI): High-profile Indian dignitaries have paid tribute to the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, ahead of the formal state funeral ceremonies in Tehran.
The update was shared by the Embassy of Iran in India in a post on X, which stated, "Indian Dignitaries Pay Tribute to the Martyred Leader of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei." The image shared by the Embassy of Iran in India on X featured People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and Salman Khurshid, who heads the Congress party's foreign affairs department, along with other delegates preparing to travel for the high-profile state proceedings.
https://x.com/Iran_in_India/status/2072907602636521848?s=20
Mufti flew from New Delhi to Tehran on Thursday evening to attend the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled from July 4, becoming the only non-Shia politician from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to be invited by Iran.
Following the initial departure of these prominent political figures, the official government delegation also set out from the national capital. Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita departed from his residence in Delhi on Friday morning as India prepares to join the global delegations arriving in Iran. He, along with Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, will leave for Iran today to attend the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader.
The high-profile Indian visit coincides with the formal commencement of the state mourning rituals in Tehran. Iranian state media Press TV reported on Friday that Iran has initiated the first stage of the funeral ceremonies for the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, with foreign dignitaries and religious figures paying their respects at Tehran's Grand Mosalla.
Early Friday, the mortal remains of the late Leader, alongside those of his companions, were moved to the prominent religious facility in the heart of the capital city and positioned within the primary prayer hall. Confirming the arrival of the casket at the site, state media outlet IRNA wrote on Telegram that, "The body of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution has arrived at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla."
The initial ceremonies have seen an immediate influx of international guests arriving at the complex to offer condolences. According to Press TV, religious scholars and cultural figures from Indonesia and Afghanistan were among the first foreign guests to pay tribute at the venue as the multi-day state proceedings officially commenced.
Furthermore, representatives of Iran's recognised religious minorities also attended the ceremony to honour the late Leader, marking a broad presence of diverse delegations at the opening stage of the national mourning rituals.
Meanwhile, massive crowds of mourners have already gathered on the streets of Tehran ahead of the formal ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place from July 4 through July 9, CNN reported. Large numbers of residents dressed in black assembled in the capital, waving Iranian flags and singing ceremonial hymns, while some held portraits of the late leader.
As public participation grows, the initial visual components of the casket holding the late Supreme Leader have emerged, depicting the coffin inside a room decorated with the country's colours. A sacred red flag featuring white lettering from the shrine of Imam Hussein has been draped over the casket. The historical flag serves as a "symbol of resistance, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion to truth," according to the Iranian government.
Reacting to the solemn atmosphere, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed profound sorrow over the passing of the leader but emphasised national fortitude, urging citizens of all backgrounds to join the procession to present a unified front to the global community.
In a statement framing the path ahead, President Pezeshkian remarked that "This martyrdom is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter of national unity, resilience, and progress," pointing out that "this system rests on the firm foundations of faith, ideals, and the will of a great nation."
The funeral itinerary reveals a massive cross-border logistical undertaking. The extensive multi-day funeral arrangements will encompass multiple major cities across both Iran and Iraq, including Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, alongside Najaf and Karbala. These ceremonies come more than four months after the late leader died during an air strike on February 28 at the start of the conflict involving US and Israeli forces.
Given the unprecedented scale of the event, maintaining public order and leadership safety remain the absolute focus for domestic security forces during what is anticipated to be one of the largest security deployments in the country's history. Gholamhossein Mozaffari, the Governor of Razavi Khorasan Province, where the final burial will take place, indicated that aviation assets could be utilised to oversee crowd movements.
Significantly, the heightened threat matrix has directly impacted the immediate family. The current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not be present at the funeral events for his father due to these intense security concerns, according to his representative in India, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi.
The domestic security environment remains highly sensitive following provocative statements from regional adversaries, including Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who had previously remarked that the late leader was "marked for death."
In response to these external pressures, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi clarified that any operational threat directed against the current leadership would face immediate and forceful retaliation.
Furthermore, high-ranking military commanders have cautioned external forces against executing any aggressive actions during the mourning period.
In a statement published via domestic channels, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned adversaries against any miscalculation, declaring, "We warn the enemies of a strong Iran... to avoid any miscalculation and to consider the harsh and regret-inducing responses of the sons of the Iranian nation in the Armed Forces to any threat or aggression."
Beyond the active security posture, the unique four-month timeline of the event has drawn intense focus towards the exact methods utilised to safeguard the remains since the February incident. Speaking to Fox News Digital, counterterrorism specialist Dr. Mohammed Omar noted that the preservation involved specialised low-temperature facilities rather than chemical processes.
Dr. Omar told Fox News Digital, "The mechanism is almost certainly refrigerated cold storage, not embalming, as Islam bars chemical embalming," adding that "Shia law allows delayed burial and preservation by cold in exceptional cases, and a clerical exemption for a Supreme Leader is easy to get."
He further observed that "Iran's forensic morgues already hold bodies for months, so four months in freezing is not exotic. That is what 'religious and legal standards' cover."
Parallel to the technical details of the funeral, the transition of power has revived long-standing questions regarding the health of Mojtaba Khamenei following the initial military strikes, with varying assessments circulating at the time. Medical authorities inside Iran maintained that his injuries were highly superficial, requiring merely "a stitch or two," prior to his hospital discharge on March 1.
However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio countered those claims, suggesting that the injuries were substantially more severe, with intelligence pointing to facial burns that impaired his ability to communicate. Notably, no fresh photographic evidence or video recordings of Mojtaba Khamenei have been made public since the incident.
Despite these internal transition challenges and the dense security environment, standard diplomatic channels indicate that the extensive funeral layout is being actively leveraged by Tehran to consolidate international partnerships.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei noted that Tehran expects "guests from around 100 countries, including heads of government, parliamentary speakers, foreign ministers, special government envoys, other political figures, and numerous public delegations."
International dignitaries arriving to attend the cross-border proceedings alongside the Indian delegation include Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while the Chinese administration will be represented by He Wei, the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
Additionally, two senior officials from the Taliban administration, including the Deputy Prime Minister and the Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, are also slated to be present. (ANI)
