TEHRAN – Iran held a solemn state funeral on Saturday for dozens of senior military commanders and high-ranking officials killed during a wave of Israeli airstrikes in a 12-day conflict that has significantly heightened regional tensions.
The ceremony began in Tehran’s Enghelab Square, where thousands of mourners — many clad in black — gathered to pay tribute. Iranian flags waved above the crowd as they walked alongside coffins draped in the national colors, each marked with the name and rank of a fallen leader.
The funeral procession, broadcast by state television and other official channels, made its way toward Azadi Square — a route historically associated with major national events and political symbolism.
Among the 60 individuals being honored were some of Iran’s most senior military figures: General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; Major General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC Aerospace Force.
The mourners also included families of civilians, nuclear scientists, and medical personnel killed in the strikes. Portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the deceased were held aloft, while Khamenei issued a statement praising the fallen as “martyrs of the nation’s defence.”
The funeral comes in the wake of a devastating 12-day war, which began with an unprovoked Israeli air offensive on June 13. According to Iranian authorities, more than 200 Israeli fighter jets targeted nuclear and military installations across Iran.
Official figures released by Iran’s Ministry of Health confirm 610 deaths and 4,746 injuries. Among the dead were 185 women and 13 children. The youngest fatality was a two-month-old infant. Civilian infrastructure — including hospitals and ambulances — was also severely damaged.
Iran has vowed retaliation, warning that the deaths of its senior leadership will not go unanswered.
