Tehran: Iran’s top leaders came together at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on Friday in a solemn moment as the country marks the funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes earlier on February 28 this year.
Heads of the three branches of Iran’s government were seen paying their respects to the slain leader.
Iranian military commander Mohsen Rezaee, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Chief Justice of Iran Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend the farewell ceremony for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
High-profile Indian dignitaries have paid tribute to the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, ahead of the formal state funeral ceremonies in Tehran.
The Embassy of Iran in India, in a post on X, shared, “Indian Dignitaries Pay Tribute to the Martyred Leader of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.”
A delegation of Indian religious leaders paid tribute to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. pic.twitter.com/Ji1i3vNkGm
— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) July 3, 2026
The image shared by the Embassy of Iran in India on X featured People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and Salman Khurshid, who heads the Congress party’s foreign affairs department, along with other delegates preparing to travel for the high-profile state proceedings.
Following the initial departure of these prominent political figures, the official government delegation also set out from the national capital. Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita departed from his residence in Delhi on Friday morning as India prepares to join the global delegations arriving in Iran. He, along with Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, will leave for Iran today to attend the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader.
Leaders have flown in from across the world to pay their respects to the Iranian leader.
According to the state broadcaster Press TV, Georgian President Kavelashvili, Iraqi President Amidi and Tajik President Rahmon are among those present in Iran.
Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also touched down in Iran. The families of Hezbollah’s Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Imad Mughniyeh, and other commanders also paid their final respects to Khamenei. A delegation of Palestinian scholars, Lebanon’s Amal Movement delegation, Omani and Russian delegations also paid tributes.
He Wei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, and Igor Sergeyenko, Chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus, met with Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf on the sidelines of the farewell ceremony for the Leader, Press TV said.
First stage of funeral ceremonies begins
Iran has begun the first stage of funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with foreign dignitaries and religious figures paying their respects at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla.
Significantly, the heightened threat matrix has directly impacted the immediate family. The current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not be present at the funeral events for his father due to these intense security concerns, according to his representative in India, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi.
The domestic security environment remains highly sensitive following provocative statements from regional adversaries, including Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who had previously remarked that the late leader was “marked for death”.
In response to these external pressures, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi clarified that any operational threat directed against the current leadership would face immediate and forceful retaliation.
Furthermore, high-ranking military commanders have cautioned external forces against executing any aggressive actions during the mourning period.
In a statement published via domestic channels, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned adversaries against any miscalculation, declaring, “We warn the enemies of a strong Iran… to avoid any miscalculation and to consider the harsh and regret-inducing responses of the sons of the Iranian nation in the Armed Forces to any threat or aggression.”
The Leader’s body, along with those of his companions, was transferred to Tehran’s Grand Mosalla early Friday and placed in the main prayer hall ahead of a two-day public farewell ceremony.
Before the funeral ceremonies commenced, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a post on X, called on Iranians from all backgrounds to take part.
It mentioned that further rites are scheduled in the holy city of Qom, followed by ceremonies in Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf in Iraq, before burial in Mashhad on July 9.