Senior Iranian and foreign dignitaries gathered at Imam Khomeini's Mosalla prayer hall in central Tehran on 4 July to pay tribute to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US and Israeli strike in Tehran on 28 February. The ceremony, which began Friday morning and continued throughout the day, drew heads of state, parliament speakers, ministers, religious scholars, and tribal leaders from across the region and beyond.

Key Officials in Attendance

Iran's top constitutional figures were present in full, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council Sadeq Amoli Larijani. The breadth of domestic representation signalled a deliberate display of institutional continuity following Khamenei's death.

Foreign Leaders Who Attended

Among the international guests were Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and President of Iraq's Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani. Senior officials from China and Russia also attended, underscoring Tehran's alignment with a bloc of nations that have maintained close ties despite Western pressure on Iran.

India's Representation

India was represented at the ceremony by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retired). In a post on social media platform X, Margherita confirmed the delegation's attendance, writing: 'Governor of Bihar Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain and I represented India at the funeral ceremony for Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, former Supreme Leader of Iran, in Tehran. Conveyed our respects on behalf of the government and the people of India.'

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement noting that 'the high-level representation in the ceremony underscores the importance of civilisational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and economic engagements.'

Funeral Schedule and Restrictions

Farewell ceremonies are being held at Imam Khomeini's Mosalla in Tehran on 4–5 July, followed by a funeral procession in Tehran on 6 July and another in Qom on 7 July. Funeral rites will also be held in Mashhad and in Iraq, with the full schedule running through 9 July. Iranian authorities have announced public closures and airspace restrictions in Tehran and Mashhad on key dates, and Thursday was declared a day of national mourning.

Notably, Khamenei's son Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as Iran's new supreme leader in March, making the ongoing ceremonies as much about the transition of power as about mourning. The scale of international attendance reflects the geopolitical weight Iran continues to carry in the region, even amid the circumstances of Khamenei's death.