00:05According to Iranian sources, President of Iran, Masood Peshikin, has invited PM Narendra Modi
00:10for the funeral event of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
00:14That's a big news coming in.
00:15Now that it's being made official, there will be a massive funeral parade that's likely to be organized in Iran.
00:23Prime Minister Modi has been invited to pay respect, condolences and more.
00:29Likely, of course, other leaders of other nations will also be invited.
00:33But this is an example of India's friendship, old cultural exchanges between Iran and India
00:41that are a somber moment like this for the Iranians, especially for the Iranian regime, of course,
00:45that Prime Minister Modi has been invited.
00:47Now whether he goes or not, let's try and get an understanding of that from our Foreign Affairs Editor, Gita
00:51Mohan.
00:52Gita, how should one see, I don't remember the last time someone's funeral had an invitation like this to the
00:57world leaders.
00:59Well, this is an important invite, but also the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
01:08in the top leadership, was invited even when Ibrahim Raisi died in an accident,
01:14in the helicopter crash, President of Iran.
01:17And we saw attendance at the highest level.
01:21This is yet another case, but it's a very different one, because here the Supreme Leader was killed in an
01:28Israeli-American attack.
01:30So there are sensitivities involved.
01:33The situation is also not very normal, although, yes, right now there is a ceasefire,
01:40and the reason why we are looking at a funeral finally being, will be taken out for the late Supreme
01:52Leader.
01:53So, yes, invitations have come, and invitations only come when there is concrete conversation.
01:58But from the Indian side, we are yet to hear of a confirmation of whether if Prime Minister Modi is
02:03going to attend or not.
02:05And there certainly is going to be...
02:07Gita, quickly, do you think this will need a certain deliberation on India's part,
02:10that Prime Minister Modi should go or not,
02:14because it will be seen as a geopolitical reference point as well?
02:17So do you think there will be a conversation on that too?
02:20Absolutely. Absolutely.
02:22The fact that the conversation must have happened already,
02:25for a formal invitation to have come India's way,
02:28and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's way.
02:30So, yes, they are looking at attendance by India,
02:34and most major countries and partner countries of Iran,
02:37at the highest level.
02:39Gita, appreciate you joining us.
02:40Thank you very much.
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