TheNewsSite.In Bureau
Tehran erupted in an unprecedented sea of black-clad mourners this week as Iran launched a six-day state funeral for Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the assassinated Supreme Leader whose death in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026, sent shockwaves across the Islamic world. While state dignitaries from Russia, China, Afghanistan and dozens of other nations filed past his casket at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla prayer complex, India was represented by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, who reached Tehran on July 3 .
Funeral Procession Unfolds Across Iran and Iraq
Official mourning ceremonies began on Saturday, July 4, with public viewing at the Grand Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran, where an estimated 20 million people were expected to file past the coffins of Khamenei and several family members killed in the same strike. The main procession kicked off Monday morning in the capital, winding 10 kilometres from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square before moving south to Qom, then into Iraq for rites in Najaf and Karbala, and finally concluding with burial in Mashhad on July 9.
Iranian authorities deployed thousands of security personnel, ambulances and relief teams along the route, with the Iranian Red Crescent Society and health ministry providing medical and psychological support to mourners in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. State media described the event as both a national and religious procession, touching some of the most significant shrines in Twelver Shiism.
India’s Representation: A Minister and a Governor
In a social media post, Margherita said they conveyed respect “on behalf of the Government and the people of India” and extended condolences to families of those killed in the recent conflict.
The delegation’s composition drew attention because Iran had formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the funeral, according to media reports.
Iranian officials nonetheless expressed gratitude for India’s participation. “Iran will never forget,” a Tehran-based statement said, acknowledging New Delhi’s presence at the funeral.
India’s Shia Population: One of the World’s Largest
India is home to one of the world’s largest Shia Muslim populations, estimated at between 16 million and 24 million people, or roughly 20 million Shias in total. While precise census data on sectarian breakdowns is not officially collected in India, independent demographic studies consistently place India’s Shia community as the second-largest in the world after Iran.
Shia Muslims in India are concentrated in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, with significant historical and cultural centres in Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kashmir. Budgam is home to be the largest numbers of Shia population in Kashmir, although Shiaite groups are spread over the Union territory of India, Sources told TheNewsSite.in .
The Shia community has deep roots in the subcontinent, dating back to early Islamic missionary activity and later strengthened by Persianate courts, Sufi orders and scholarly exchanges with Iran and Iraq.
The choice of Bihar’s governor to represent India at Khamenei’s funeral was seen as a nod to India’s Shia community, given Bihar’s large Shia population and the governor’s own background as a retired military commander who previously served in Kashmir, a region with a significant Shia presence.
Persian (Farsi) as India’s 9th Classical Language
India’s cultural and civilisational ties with Iran run far deeper than contemporary diplomacy. In a move underscoring this heritage, the Government of India included Farsi (Persian) as one of the nine classical languages under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the decision, noting that Persian has immensely shaped Indian literature, art, architecture and administration over centuries, from the Mughal courts to modern literary traditions. The NEP emphasises the preservation of works in Pali, Persian and Prakrit for the enrichment of future generations, recognising Persian’s role in India’scultural mosaic.
Persian’s classical status places it alongside Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, and Prakrit in India’s official roster of classical languages, reflecting the subcontinent’s historical engagement with the Persianate world.
India and Iran marked 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, having established formal ties on March 15, 1950. Both countries have repeatedly emphasised their “millennia-long history of cultural and civilizational interactions” and shared heritage in literature, art and architecture.
In January 2026, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tehran and New Delhi were “determined to strengthen bilateral ties” based on mutual interests and shared heritage. In May 2026, amid heightened tensions in West Asia, Iran described its relations with India as “extremely robust and strategically close,” denying any plans to impose additional fees on Indian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran extended full support to save Indian lives during the war.
Yet India’s foreign policy in the region remains carefully calibrated. During the February–April 2026 conflict triggered by the US-Israeli strike on Tehran, New Delhi maintained contacts with Gulf leaders and Iran in order to bring back stability in the region.
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