Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 3

Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and former minister and Shia cleric Molvi Imran Reza Ansari are among members of an Indian delegation attending the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Tehran prepares to host dignitaries from around 30 countries for the week-long observances.

The funeral ceremonies, scheduled from July 4 to July 9, come after Khamenei’s death during the recent conflict between Iran and Israel and are expected to draw senior political, religious and diplomatic representatives from across the world.

Mufti, president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), paid her respects before Khamenei’s coffin in Tehran on Friday, ahead of the formal funeral procession.

In a post on social media platform X, she described her visit as an expression of solidarity with the Iranian people.

“It is an honour to be in Tehran to express my deepest condolences and solidarity on the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, a revered leader who stood for the oppressed,” Mufti wrote.

People familiar with the visit said Mufti was the only non-Shia political leader from Jammu and Kashmir invited to participate in the funeral ceremonies.

Ansari, president of the All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association, also attended the farewell ceremony in Tehran, where he offered prayers beside Khamenei’s coffin.

In a statement issued from the Iranian capital, Ansari described Khamenei as an influential religious leader whose teachings and commitment to justice had inspired millions across the Muslim world.

He said Khamenei had devoted his life to defending the oppressed and promoting the values of Islam, adding that his death represented a significant loss for the global Muslim community.

The All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association separately expressed condolences over Khamenei’s death and prayed for peace for the departed leader while extending sympathy to his followers.

According to Iranian state media, the funeral programme will begin with public mourning ceremonies in Tehran on July 4 and 5, followed by the main funeral procession in the capital on July 6.

The ceremonies will then move to the holy city of Qom on July 7 before concluding with Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.

Iranian officials have said representatives from about 30 countries are expected to attend the ceremonies, which are likely to become one of the largest diplomatic and religious gatherings hosted by Iran in recent decades.

The funeral comes at a time of heightened regional tensions following the conflict between Iran and Israel, with Tehran seeking to project political continuity and national unity through the ceremonies while welcoming foreign delegations from across the Middle East, Asia and beyond.