PM Shehbaz Sharif to Attend Khamenei’s Funeral in Tehran on July 3

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to travel to the Iranian capital Tehran to attend the state funeral of Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei, according to diplomatic sources, as Pakistan continues to deepen its high-level engagement with both Iran and Turkey.

The visit follows a period of intensified diplomatic activity between Islamabad and Tehran, most recently marked by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s official visit to Islamabad. According to diplomatic sources, Prime Minister Sharif will arrive in Tehran on the evening of July 2 alongside an official Pakistani delegation. He will attend the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on July 3, before departing the same night for Turkey.

Shehbaz May Meet Erdogan on July 4

Diplomatic sources confirmed that preparations are actively underway for a bilateral meeting between PM Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 4. The two leaders are expected to discuss “the latest regional situation after the Iran-US MoU, mutual relations and ways to promote bilateral cooperation.”

The Turkey leg of the prime minister’s trip is expected to build on the momentum of the Iran visit, covering key developments in the region as well as the broader scope of Pakistan-Turkey strategic ties.

Pakistan-Iran Diplomatic Engagement Continues

The prime minister’s Tehran visit forms part of an ongoing series of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Iran. Diplomatic sources indicated that President Asif Ali Zardari is also expected to visit Tehran toward the end of July, where he is anticipated to hold meetings with Iran’s top leadership.

Iranian President Pezeshkian had earlier renewed his personal invitation to President Zardari during a recent meeting, and the president accepted it. However, the finalisation of the visit’s schedule remains pending. President Zardari’s spokesperson clarified that “it was not yet known when President Zardari’s visit would take place,” adding that “the schedule has not been prepared so far.” The spokesperson noted that while “the president already has an invitation to visit Iran, the final decision will be made by President Zardari himself.”

President Zardari had originally been expected to travel to Iran earlier in the year, but the visit was postponed due to the Iran-US conflict and escalating tensions across the Middle East.

Pakistan’s sustained diplomatic momentum with both Tehran and Ankara signals a broader effort to consolidate regional relationships at a time of significant geopolitical transition following the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding.