TEHRAN — Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti paid tribute to the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a memorial ceremony held before Iran's official state funeral. Images released by the Iranian Embassy in India showed Mufti and several Indian public figures offering their respects ahead of the multi-day national mourning events.
Among those present was senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who joined other Indian representatives in honoring the late leader. The Iranian Embassy shared photographs of the delegation on social media before the official ceremonies commenced.
India has also dispatched an official government delegation to attend the funeral. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Lieutenant General (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, Governor of Bihar, are representing the Government of India at the memorial events in Tehran.
Iran has announced a six-day national farewell program for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Public mourning ceremonies are scheduled to take place in Tehran before funeral processions continue to the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad. According to Iranian authorities, the late leader will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.
Television footage from the ceremony showed Khamenei's coffin draped with a symbolic red banner associated with Imam Hussein, representing sacrifice, resistance, and steadfast commitment in Shiite tradition.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged citizens to participate in the mourning events, describing the late leader's death as a moment of national unity rather than an end. He called on the public to demonstrate solidarity during the funeral ceremonies and reaffirm the country's resilience.
The funeral is expected to draw thousands of mourners, senior Iranian officials, religious leaders, and international representatives over the coming days.
