Iran: Diplomatic sources said Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has sent an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the funeral of the country’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There has been no confirmation from New Delhi regarding the invitation received by PM Modi. According to information received from sources, many global leaders are expected to gather on this occasion. 86-year-old Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 this year, the very first day of Israeli and American air strikes on Tehran. He held the top post of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the last 36 years.
The funeral will last for 5 days
According to official sources and Iranian media, funeral arrangements will begin on July 5. Special mourning services and rituals will be held on July 7 in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. Ali Khamenei’s body will be laid to rest on July 9 in his hometown and the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
However, under Islamic law it is mandatory to bury a dead body as soon as possible, usually within 24 hours, but this is exempted in times of war or special circumstances. There was speculation about the dates of his funeral since the attack in February. Initial reports said he might be buried in late June, but state media later confirmed it would be in July.
The record of the world’s largest funeral procession may be broken
It is estimated that about 20 million people from Tehran, Mashhad and Qom together will attend this funeral. If this figure proves true, it will break the record of a crowd of 1 crore gathered at the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in 1989. Many Pakistani officials including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will also participate in this program.
Suspense on the new supreme leader and his health
Following the death of Ali Khamenei, his 56-year-old son Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei took over as Iran’s new supreme leader on March 8. However, at present there is a lot of suspense around the world regarding his health and whereabouts. Several top US officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei is currently in a coma.
Peace deal between Iran and America
This fierce conflict that lasted for months had put the entire West Asia (Middle East) in crisis, causing a serious fuel and energy crisis on a global scale. However, now a peace agreement has been reached between Iran and America. Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump have signed separate digital memoranda of understanding. At present, high level talks are going on in Switzerland to restore long-term peace between the two countries.
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