Mehbooba Mufti breaks down at Ali Khamenei funeral; Indian leaders pay tribute in Tehran | VIDEO
As world leaders and foreign delegations gathered in Tehran to pay tribute to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several Indian political leaders and government representatives were also present at the funeral ceremonies.
Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain represented India at the official funeral ceremony held in the Iranian capital on Friday.
The Embassy of Iran in India also shared images of Indian political figures attending the tribute event. Among those seen paying their respects were PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who heads the party's foreign affairs department.
One of the most emotional moments involving the Indian delegation came when Mehbooba Mufti was seen in tears during the ceremony. Images circulated by the Iranian Embassy showed the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister visibly moved while paying tribute to Khamenei.
The funeral ceremonies drew a large international turnout, with top Iranian officials, heads of state and senior delegations from across the world attending the event at Tehran's Grand Mosalla.
Among the foreign dignitaries present were Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said high-level delegations from numerous countries had travelled to Tehran for the farewell ceremonies, including presidents, prime ministers, parliamentary speakers, foreign ministers and special envoys. He added that public figures and representatives from around 100 countries were expected to participate in the mourning events.
The solemn ceremony was marked by emotional scenes as senior Iranian leaders struggled to hold back tears. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were seen weeping during the farewell proceedings.
Images from the ceremony also showed mourners gathering around Khamenei's coffin, with several attendees visibly emotional as tributes were paid to the late leader. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was among those seen in tears during the funeral.
Iranian authorities have put extensive security measures in place for the multi-day ceremonies, which officials expect could attract between 15 and 20 million mourners. The funeral rites will continue over the coming days in Tehran before further ceremonies in Qom and Iraq ahead of the final burial.
With agency inputs