Tehran: Iran on Saturday held a state funeral for nearly 60 scientists and military commanders who were killed during its recent conflict with Israel. The ceremony was marked by strong anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiments, with thousands of Iranians attending to pay their respects.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top Iranian diplomats expressed their anger over what they described as Israeli and American aggression. They reiterated that Iran, as a sovereign nation, has every right to pursue its development and security interests within the framework of international law.
The funeral procession witnessed massive participation. Mourners carried banners and placards with slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” along with pictures of the deceased. Some banners made reference to Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes on Israel during the 12-day war, including messages like “Boom, Boom, Tel Aviv.”
Iranian state television broadcasted live footage of the coffins, draped with Iranian flags, alongside replicas of the ballistic missiles that Iran used in its strikes against Israel.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Khamenei’s senior advisor Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani were among the key dignitaries present. Shamkhani, visibly injured from an earlier Israeli attack, attended the funeral walking with the help of a cane, symbolizing the physical and emotional toll of the conflict.
Though Supreme Leader Khamenei did not attend the funeral in person, he had addressed the nation via video earlier in the week, declaring “victory” for Iran following the ceasefire that brought an end to the conflict.
The funeral served not only as a moment of mourning but also as a public show of national defiance, with citizens and leaders alike vowing to stand united against foreign aggression.
