Khamenei will be laid to rest near the shrine of Imam Reza, fulfilling his wish of being buried next to one of Shia Islam's most revered figures.
Close to months after Iran’s supreme leader late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assasinated in a combined attack by the US and Israeli forces, his funeral will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in the northeastern city of Mashhad on July 9. The funeral will reportedly be attended by few international leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A formal invitation in this regard has been sent to Modi by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, reported news agency ANI, citing sources. However, there is no official confirmation from India on whether the invite has been accepted by the Indian Prime Minister.
Khamenei will be laid to rest near the shrine of Imam Reza, fulfilling his wish of being buried next to one of Shia Islam’s most revered figures.
If Iran has sent an invitation to the Indian PM as claimed by sources then India would need to strike a balance as it shares good relations with Iran. Also its relations with Israel, US, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE that are a coalition is good, so India has to come across as it is neutral and not taking sides.
Also India has to keep in mind that Iran is crucial for its regional connectivity ambitions through the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) for which it has to maintain healthy relations with Tehran.
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Israel, a key defence, technology, and intelligence partner for India, would closely be watching New Delhi’s move and any high profile engagements in Tehran.
India due to its growing strategic partnership with the United States would not want to send out a message to Washington that it is moving closer to Iran at the expense of broader geopolitical interests
While in the Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where India has significant economic and energy interests it would like to maintain West Asia policy as its priority and avoid sending any wrong signals from its Iran visit if it takes place.
The three-day funeral ceremony of Khamenei will begin in capital Tehran on July 4 and another in the holy city of Qom on July 7 with the burial happening in the northeastern city of Mashhad on July 9, said the state media.
Aditya Shukla has a vast experience of over 20 years in the field of journalism. During the years, he has worked in TV and digital, covering Indian politics and world news extensiv…Read More
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