Iran Holds State Funeral for Top Commanders Killed in War with Israel

AFP/APP

Tehran: Iran held a state funeral on Saturday for around 60 individuals, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, killed during its ongoing conflict with Israel. The ceremony follows strong condemnation from Tehran’s top diplomat over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling them “unacceptable.”

According to Iran’s health ministry, Israeli strikes have killed at least 627 civilians in the country. In contrast, Iranian attacks on Israel have reportedly claimed 28 lives, according to Israeli officials.

‘Historic’ State Funeral

The funeral proceedings in Tehran began at 8:00 am (0430 GMT), honoring what Iranian authorities called the “martyrs of the war imposed by the Zionist regime.” Iranian state media aired early footage showing coffins draped in national flags, adorned with portraits of the slain commanders, gathered near Enghelab Square—where the official ceremony took place.

The funeral procession continued toward Azadi Square, approximately 11 kilometers (seven miles) across the capital.

Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran’s Islamic Development Coordination Council, described the day as “historic for Islamic Iran and the revolution.”

Among the prominent figures being laid to rest was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the second-in-command of Iran’s armed forces and a senior figure in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He was killed along with his wife and daughter, a journalist with a local media outlet, in an Israeli strike.

Also killed was nuclear physicist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, who will be buried alongside his wife.

Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami, reportedly killed on the first day of the war, will also be interred following the ceremony.

In total, the funeral honors 60 individuals, including at least 30 senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and four children.