India Grapples with Diplomatic Dilemma Over Ayatollah Khamenei's Funeral

In the month of July, Iran is going to hold the funeral of its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Iranian government has sent an official invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend his funeral. This invitation has created a very sensitive and difficult situation for India. In diplomacy, such a situation is called a "diplomatic dilemma." This dilemma of India is mainly to strike a balance between two factions. On the one hand, there are Israel and America. On the other hand, there are old relations with Iran. Whether PM Modi goes to this funeral or not, it can have an impact on India's global relations. If a top leader of India does not attend this funeral, Iran can see it as an insult. Iran may feel that it does not matter to India. If such a message goes, then not only bilateral relations can be harmed but also a project of strategic importance like Chabahar port can be adversely affected. In this case, the US and Israel's relations with India and Iran are bad for decades.