Iran invites Congress president Kharge, former EAM Salman Khurshid, Pawan Khera for Khamenei funeral

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. File. | Photo Credit: ANI

Iran has extended invites to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, and party’s media and publicity wing head Pawan Khera to attend the burial ceremonies of late leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sources said on Wednesday (July 1, 2026).

This comes amid reports that Bihar Governor Lt. General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita are likely to lead the Indian delegation that will travel to Iran for the funeral ceremonies.

The final composition of the delegation is yet to be firmed up.

A day earlier on Tuesday (June 30, 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. Mr. Pezeshkian had invited Mr. Modi to the burial-related ceremonies in Iran. However, it is understood that Mr. Modi has prior commitments to travel to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6 to 11.

The Indian delegation will be among a large group of foreign dignitaries that have been invited by Tehran for the burial-related events, which will start from July 3 and will continue till July 9. Diplomatic sources had told The Hindu earlier that while the ceremonies will take place in capital Tehran and the holy city of Qom, the burial will take place in Mashhad, a famous pilgrimage centre, in northeast Iran. The choice of Mashhad for burial indicates the high stature that he had been accorded after his assassination.