Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili will attend the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the presidential administration confirmed on June 30, following earlier reports by Iranian media about an invitation.
Official confirmation
The president's administration said Kavelashvili would join leaders from across the region at the ceremonies. "Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, along with leaders of countries in the region, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and others, will attend the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran," the statement read.
The confirmation followed a June 29 report by the Tehran-based West Asia News Agency (WANA), which said Kavelashvili was expected to attend the funeral and burial ceremonies with an official delegation. WANA also reported that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and representatives from Qatar and Pakistan were expected to travel to Iran.
Funeral schedule
Khamenei, 86, was killed in U.S.-Israeli air strikes at the outset of the war in the Middle East on February 28. According to WANA, funeral ceremonies will begin on July 4 at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla, with funeral prayers scheduled for the morning of July 5. Following events in Tehran, Qom, and Iraq, Khamenei is expected to be buried in Mashhad, his hometown, on July 9.
Georgia-Iran ties
Kavelashvili's scheduled visit comes amid growing scrutiny of Tbilisi's relationship with Tehran during heightened tensions in the Middle East. On March 2, the Georgian Dream government extended condolences to both Iran and Israel, noting that hostilities had claimed a high toll in Iran, including the supreme leader, other political figures, civilians, and dozens of children.
On March 10, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on his election as Iran's new supreme leader.
