Tehran, Iran – The Iranian government held a state funeral on Saturday for approximately 60 individuals, including several high-ranking military commanders, who were killed during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
The funeral procession began early in the morning at Enghelab (Revolution) Square in Tehran, drawing thousands of mourners dressed in black. Participants waved Iranian flags and carried portraits of the deceased, expressing national grief and solidarity.
President Masoud Pezeshkian led the ceremony alongside key government and military figures, including Esmail Qaani, commander of the elite Quds Force. Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also attended, visibly injured and walking with the aid of a cane due to wounds sustained in the conflict.
Iranian state television broadcast live footage of the event, showing coffins draped in the national flag and adorned with images of the fallen commanders. The ceremony also included symbolic displays, such as mock-ups of ballistic missiles and banners, including one reading “Boom Boom Tel Aviv,” referencing missile strikes carried out by Iran during the conflict that began on June 13.
Among the most prominent figures honored were Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s second-highest-ranking military officer, who died alongside his wife and daughter in an Israeli airstrike. Also laid to rest was nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, who was buried with his wife. Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who died on the war’s first day, was also buried following the ceremony.
The casualties included at least 30 senior military officials, as well as four women and four children, underscoring the human cost of the conflict.
The state funeral takes place against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. On Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump sparked outrage in Tehran by claiming he had prevented an assassination attempt on Ayatollah Khamenei and warning that he would order additional strikes if Iran resumed its nuclear activities.
The funeral marked a moment of national mourning and political defiance, highlighting the significant losses suffered by Iran and the potential for continued regional instability.
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