Iran has held a funeral service for military Commanders, nuclear scientists and some civilians killed in Israeli attacks earlier this month.
Top military Commanders, scientists and civilians were killed in the brief and bloody conflict, which Israel said aimed at preventing Iran developing a nuclear weapon.
The ceremonies marked the first public funeral for top Commanders since the ceasefire.
These included Hossein Salami, who had served as Head of the secretive Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and was one the most powerful men in Iran, Mohammad Bagheri, who had served as the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, as well as Amir Ali Hajizadeh, former Commander of the IRGC’s Air Force.
Iranian state television reported that the funeral was held for 60 people in total, including four women and four children.
Hundreds of thousands gathered in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for the state funeral.
Attendees, most of whom were dressed entirely in black, chanted death to Israel and America.
The crowd also pledged allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, chanting, “Oh noble Leader, we are ready!” Many waved flags and banners to honor those who had been killed.
Images from central Tehran showed coffins draped in Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the deceased Commanders in uniform.
Israel launched the assault on its main regional rival on June 13, 2025, killing several senior military and scientific officials, and bombarding military sites and nuclear facilities across the country. Iran responded with missiles attacks on Israel.
Israeli bombardment continued for 12 days, with key ally the United States joining the conflict to carry out strikes on three nuclear sites last weekend.
In retaliation for the US attacks, Iran launched a wave of missiles at a US military base in Qatar.
Both Israel and Iran claimed victory in the war that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplaying the US strikes, claiming Trump had “exaggerated events in unusual ways,” and rejecting US claims that Iran’s nuclear programme had been set back by decades.
The state funeral comes a day after US President Donald Trump launched a tirade on his Truth Social platform, blasting Khamenei for claiming in a video address that Iran had won the war.
Trump also claimed to have known “EXACTLY where he (Khamenei) was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the US Armed Forces… terminate his life.”
He claimed that he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of sanctions against Iran, but he dropped it after Khamenei’s remarks.
Slain Officials Memory To Live Long
Speaking on the day of state funeral for those killed in Israeli strikes, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi said that the loss of lives is “hard and painful” but their “memory will live on.”
Araghchi, in a post on Instagram, stressed that the “pride of a nation is paramount” as he pledged that Iran would return to “new glory and greater strength” following its 12-day conflict with Israel.
He added that the 60 who were killed and whose bodies were laid to rest Saturday – in an event which saw hundreds of thousands line the streets of Tehran – gave their “blood” but did not surrender their honor.
Speaking back at Trump for his remarks against Khamenei, the Iranian Foreign Minister said on X, “If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader.”
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