India's minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita attended the 40th-day mourning ceremony for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Iranian embassy in New Delhi. He offered solemn respects on behalf of the Government of India, according to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. The participation highlights India's longstanding ties with Iran amid regional tensions.
Pabitra Margherita, minister of state for external affairs, represented the Narendra Modi government at the Chehelum, or 40th-day mourning ceremony, organised by the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Margherita offered solemn respects on behalf of the Government of India. In a post on X, Jaiswal stated: “India–Iran relations are anchored in deep-rooted civilizational, cultural and people-to-people ties.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, an incident that plunged the West Asian region into a war lasting six weeks before a ceasefire was announced last Tuesday. India offered condolences nearly a week later, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri signing the condolence book at the Iranian embassy on March 5.
India has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the Iran-US conflict early, emphasising the interests of nearly 10 million Indians living in West Asia and the need to prevent disruptions to trade and energy supply chains with potential serious consequences for the economy.
