New Delhi

India will be represented by Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, and senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs at the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled to be held next month.

Syed Ata Hasnain, a former Army officer and noted strategic affairs expert before his appointment as Bihar Governor, is also a Shia Muslim.

Pabitra Margherita, an actor-turned-politician from Assam, serves as Minister of State for External Affairs and also holds charge as Minister of State for the Ministry of Textiles.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place between July 4 and July 9. It is customary for heads of government to nominate representatives for such state funerals.

Official sources said Prime Minister Modi is unlikely to travel to Iran because of a packed overseas schedule that includes visits to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Khamenei, 86, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran in February. According to Iranian media, the funeral ceremonies will begin in Tehran on July 4, while his burial will take place in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.

It may be recalled that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar attended the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2022.

Prime Minister Modi is among several world leaders who have received formal invitations from President Pezeshkian. Invitations have also been extended to the leaders of China, Russia, Qatar, France, and Pakistan.

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Diplomatic observers believe the invitation, coming soon after the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, may be Tehran's way of signalling that it continues to view India as an important civilizational and strategic partner despite the evolving geopolitical dynamics in West Asia.