Monday, 25 May 2026
People attend the funeral procession of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iran holds funeral for leaders killed in Israel conflict
TEHRAN – Thousands of mourners dressed in black filled the streets of Iran’s capital on Saturday as the nation bid farewell to high-ranking military commanders, prominent nuclear scientists, and civilians killed in this month’s aerial conflict with Israel, Reuters reported.
According to state media, among those honored at the funeral were at least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders, including Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces; General Hossein Salami, Commander of the Revolutionary Guards; and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards Aerospace Force.
The coffins, decorated with photographs of the deceased and draped in Iranian flags, were transported through Tehran’s Azadi Square. Mourners waved flags, reached out to touch the caskets, and scattered rose petals as a tribute. State-run Press TV broadcast images of ballistic missiles on display during the procession.
Mass prayers followed in Azadi Square. State television referred to the ceremony as the “Procession of the Martyrs of Power,” stating that the funeral honored 60 individuals killed in the conflict, including four women and four children.
President Masoud Pezeshkian joined other senior officials in attendance, such as Ali Shamkhani—an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was seriously injured in the fighting—and Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba.
“In the face of two nuclear-armed regimes, the heroic resistance of the Iranian people has preserved their honor and dignity,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on Telegram from the funeral. “Today, they stand more proud, dignified, and determined than ever.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not make an immediate statement and has not appeared in public since the outset of the conflict. In previous funerals for senior commanders, Khamenei has led prayers over the caskets, ceremonies typically broadcast on state TV.
The conflict began on June 13, when Israel launched an air assault targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and leading to the deaths of top military leaders and civilians. The attack marked Iran’s most significant loss since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.
According to Iran’s health ministry, 610 Iranians were killed and over 4,700 wounded before a ceasefire took effect on Tuesday. Activist news agency HRANA reported an even higher death toll: 974 lives lost, including 387 civilians. Meanwhile, Israel’s health ministry confirmed 28 deaths and 3,238 injuries on the Israeli side.