Medvedev Conveys Putin's Condolences to Iran's Pezeshkian at Khamenei Farewell
TEHRAN — Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the farewell ceremony for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, conveying condolences from Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussing bilateral cooperation, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Medvedev, who led the Russian delegation to the ceremony, told journalists after the visit: "I had a conversation with President Pezeshkian, and I also conveyed words of condolence from the Russian president."
The meeting took place at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran, the capital's largest religious and public complex, where the farewell ceremony began on July 3. According to a TASS correspondent, after the Russian delegation paid tribute to Khamenei, Medvedev approached Iranian officials gathered in the mourning hall. He exchanged handshakes and spoke briefly with Pezeshkian, and also greeted and held short conversations with Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and other officials.
During the meeting, Pezeshkian expressed gratitude to Medvedev and the Russian delegation for attending the ceremony, as well as for the condolences and support extended by the government and people of Russia to the people of Iran, according to the Iranian president's press service, as reported by TASS.
Pezeshkian also highlighted opportunities for bilateral cooperation, saying: "Broad opportunities exist between the two countries for developing economic, trade, energy, and transport-transit cooperation, which must be realized with additional political will and within the framework of already concluded agreements." He specifically emphasized the importance of the International North-South Transport Corridor as a key area of joint collaboration, noting that developing transport and transit infrastructure serves mutual interests and strengthens regional ties.
The farewell ceremony for Khamenei is part of a multi-day mourning schedule. On July 3, the ceremony began in Tehran, with high-ranking delegations from at least 30 countries expected to participate on Friday. From July 4 to July 5, Khamenei's body will lie in state at the Tehran Mosalla, where the public can pay respects. On July 6, a mourning procession will be held along Tehran's main streets, followed by ceremonies in Qom on July 7. On July 8, the body will be taken to Iraq, with farewell events in Karbala and Najaf, and the funeral is scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad, Khamenei's hometown.