Iran supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei set to make first public appearance next week after weeks in hiding? Here's all you need to know

Iran has invited BJP president Nitin Nabin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to attend the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, HT has learnt. The last rites of Khamenei , who was killed in US-Israel strikes on February 28, will be held next week. Minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita and the Bihar governor Lt Gen (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain are also expected to represent India at Khamenei's funeral programme, HT reported earlier . Margherita and Iran has invited Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for the state funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei, who died in a US-Israeli strike in February. Tehran also invited Narendra Modi, though he is likely to send a high-level delegation instead. Kharge has not decided on attending, and the funeral begins in Tehran on July 4, with cremation in Mashhad on July 9. Iran has reached out to both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress ahead of the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, extending invitations to senior leaders from across India’s political spectrum, sources told CNN-News18. According to sources, invitations have been sent to BJP National President Nitin Nabin, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who currently heads the Congress’ foreign affairs department. Sources said Kharge is yet to decide whether Iran invited Mallikarjun Kharge, Salman Khurshid, and Pawan Khera to attend the burial ceremonies of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India sent Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) and Pabitra Margherita to represent it at the multi-day funeral starting July 4. This participation reflects India's maintained ties with Iran, which provides crucial access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.