Union minister Pabitra Margherita, Bihar governor Syed Ata Hasnain to go for Ayatollah Khamenei’s state funeral

NEW DELHI: Bihar governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) and junior foreign minister Pabitra Margherita are likely to represent India at the funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, official sources said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had earlier invited PM Modi for the multi-day funeral that begins on July 4. Modi is scheduled to depart for a three-nation tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand on July 6. Notwithstanding the pressure from Western sanctions, India has maintained ties with Iran, which Iran provides India crucial access to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan and also Central Asia and Eurasia through the Chabahar Port and International North-South Transport Corridor. Participation by govt of India in the funeral builds upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian in the middle of the West Asia conflict that India remains a friend of Iran. Ali Hosseini Khamenei’s successor Mojtaba Khamenei was reported to have thanked Prime Minister Modi for his Eid al-Adha greetings earlier and expressed confidence that relations between India and Iran will continue to deepen.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I have received Your Excellency’s message of congratulations on the occasion of the blessed Eid al-Adha. While expressing my sincere appreciation and extending my reciprocal congratulations, I am confident that the historic friendship between our two countries, founded on mutual respect and shared interests, will continue to be further strengthened and expanded through the efforts of our two govts,” said Mojtaba, according to ANI.