Thousands of mourners dressed in black filled the streets of Tehran on Saturday as Iran held a large funeral procession for top military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians killed during the recent aerial war with Israel.
State media reported that among those honoured were at least 16 nuclear scientists and 10 senior commanders, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force head General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Their coffins, adorned with national flags and portraits, were carried into Tehran’s Azadi Square as crowds waved flags, reached out to touch the caskets, and showered them with rose petals. Ballistic missiles were also displayed in the square, according to state television coverage.
Later, mass prayers were held to honour the dead.
Dubbed the “procession of the Martyrs of Power,” the funeral commemorated a total of 60 victims of the conflict, including four women and four children.
President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the ceremony alongside other high-ranking officials, including Ali Shamkhani — who was seriously injured in the conflict and now serves as an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — and Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi praised Iran’s resilience in a message shared on Telegram, stating: “Today, Iranians, through heroic resistance against two regimes armed with nuclear weapons, protected their honour and dignity, and look to the future prouder, more dignified, and more resolute than ever.”
Supreme Leader Khamenei has yet to issue a statement and has not made a public appearance since the start of the hostilities. In past funerals, he has led prayers over the coffins of senior commanders in ceremonies broadcast nationwide.
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and killing senior military officials and civilians marking the worst assault on Iran since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Iran retaliated by launching missile barrages at Israeli military installations, infrastructure, and urban areas. On June 22, the United States entered the conflict by striking Iranian nuclear sites.
