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Senior Afghan delegation travels to Iran for funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
The visit comes as Iran prepares what officials have described as the largest state funeral in the history of the Islamic Republic.
A senior Afghan delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has travelled to Iran to attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to sources, the delegation includes Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Zakir Jalali, Director General of the Second Political Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Azam, head of Baradar’s office, and Haji Hikmat, head of the economic department of the Deputy Prime Minister’s office.
The visit comes as Iran prepares what officials have described as the largest state funeral in the history of the Islamic Republic. The six-day funeral, spanning multiple cities in Iran and Iraq, follows a months-long delay after Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes on February 28 during the Iran-Israel conflict.
Ceremonies are set to begin at Tehran’s Mosalla prayer complex before a major funeral procession through the capital. The events will then continue in the holy city of Qom, followed by ceremonies in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. Khamenei is scheduled to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.
Iranian authorities expect millions of mourners to participate in the ceremonies, with Tehran’s mayor estimating that around 20 million people could attend the main funeral procession in the capital. Extensive security and logistical measures have been put in place, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other security forces overseeing crowd management.
Several foreign delegations are expected to attend the funeral, including an official delegation from Pakistan, while the participation of other regional and international leaders is still being confirmed.
The Afghan delegation’s attendance underscores the continued diplomatic engagement between Kabul and Tehran, which have maintained regular high-level contacts on political, economic and regional issues. No details have been announced regarding any bilateral meetings between Afghan and Iranian officials during the visit.