India Expresses Condolences Over Ayatollah Khamenei's Death
India's Condolences to Iran
New Delhi, Mar 5: On Thursday, India expressed its condolences regarding the passing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed India's sympathies during a visit to the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi, where he signed the condolence book on behalf of the Indian government.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) shared a photograph capturing Misri's interaction with Iran's ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali.
While India has advocated for a resolution to the West Asia crisis through dialogue and diplomacy, it had previously avoided making direct comments on Khamenei's death.
Misri's visit and signing of the condolence book gained importance as various opposition parties criticized the government for its initial silence regarding Khamenei's demise.
In related news, a senior Iranian official announced that Iran has yet to elect a successor to Khamenei.
Ayatollah Dr Abdul Majeed Hakeemelahi, the representative of Iran’s supreme leader in India, stated that the process of selecting a new leader is ongoing.
"Reports suggesting that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been chosen as his successor are inaccurate. The council has not yet made a decision, and the process is still in progress," Hakeemelahi clarified, addressing media claims.
"There are multiple candidates for this role, and while Ayatollah Mojtaba is among them, his candidacy is based on qualifications rather than lineage. The council is still evaluating to find the most suitable candidate for the position," he added.
The supreme leader holds the highest political and religious authority in Iran, making final decisions on key policies and serving as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
When questioned about Iran's readiness to publicly announce the new supreme leader in light of threats from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, Hakeemelahi responded, "Iran is prepared to defend itself."
Khamenei, who was 86, had been the supreme leader of Iran since 1989 until his death in the US-Israeli strikes on February 28.