Pabitra Margherita, the Minister of State for External Affairs of India, attended a memorial service for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, marking the conclusion of the 40-day mourning period. This service, held on the last day of Chehelum, was attended to honor Khamenei, who died in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, which ignited a six-week conflict in the West Asian region. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, highlighted the deep-rooted civilizational and cultural ties between India and Iran. Following Khamenei's death, India expressed its condolences, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri signing the condolence book at the Iranian embassy on March 5. India has also called for dialogue to resolve the ongoing Iran-US conflict, stressing the need to protect the interests of the nearly 10 million Indians residing in West Asia and to maintain stability in trade and energy supply chains, which are crucial for India's economy.