Iran holds state funeral for top commanders, scientists killed by Israel

A authorities ceremonial work is nether mode successful Iran for astir 60 people, including subject commanders, killed successful Israeli attacks, with thousands joining the ceremonial successful the capital, Tehran.

State TV showed footage of radical donning achromatic clothes, waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of the slain caput of the Revolutionary Guard, different apical commanders and atomic scientists successful the ceremonial that started astatine 8am (04:30 GMT) connected Saturday.

Images from cardinal Tehran showed coffins draped successful Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the deceased commanders successful uniform.

The United States had carried retired strikes connected 3 Iranian atomic sites past weekend, joining its state Israel’s bombardments of Iran successful the 12-day warfare launched connected June 13.

Both Israel and Iran claimed triumph successful the warfare that ended with a ceasefire connected Tuesday, with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplaying the US strikes, claiming Trump had “exaggerated events successful antithetic ways”, and rejecting US claims that Iran’s nuclear programme had been acceptable backmost by decades.

The coffins of the Guard’s main General Hossein Salami, the caput of the Guard’s ballistic rocket programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and others were driven connected trucks on the capital’s Azadi Street arsenic radical successful the crowds chanted: “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.

Salami and Hajizadeh were some killed connected the archetypal time of the war, which Israel said was meant to destruct Iran’s atomic programme.

Mohammad Bagheri, a major-general successful Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, arsenic good arsenic apical atomic idiosyncratic Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi were besides killed successful Israeli attacks.

Saturday’s ceremonies were the archetypal nationalist funerals for apical commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian authorities tv reported that they were for 60 radical successful total, including 4 women and 4 children.

Authorities closed authorities offices to let nationalist servants to be the ceremonies.

War of words

The authorities ceremonial comes a time aft US President Donald Trump launched a tirade connected his Truth Social platform, blasting Khamenei for claiming successful a video code that Iran had won the war.

Trump besides claimed to person known “EXACTLY wherever helium (Khamenei) was sheltered, and would not fto Israel, oregon the US Armed Forces… terminate his life”.

He claimed helium had been moving successful caller days connected the imaginable removal of sanctions against Iran, but helium dropped it aft Khamenei’s remarks.

Hitting backmost astatine Trump connected Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said connected X: “If President Trump is genuine astir wanting a deal, helium should enactment speech the disrespectful and unacceptable code towards Iran’s Supreme Leader.”

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said Araghchi’s remarks were “a astir expected reaction” to Trump’s societal media posts.

“Many Iranian radical respect him [Khamenei] arsenic chiefly a spiritual leader, but according to the constitution, he’s not lone that – he’s the governmental leader, he’s the subject person – he’s simply the caput of authorities successful Iran,” helium said.

Serdar besides said Khamenei’s presumption is not conscionable the apical of a hierarchy, but a divine relation successful Shia governmental theology.

“Not lone successful Iran, but crossed the world, we cognize determination are a important fig of Shia who look for his guidance,” Serdar said. “Anyone who knows that would beryllium meticulously cautious not to publically criticise him, and peculiarly not to impeach him of lying.”

No atomic talks planned

There was nary contiguous motion of Iran’s ultimate leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, successful the authorities broadcast of the funeral.

Khamenei, who has not made a nationalist quality since earlier the outbreak of the war, has successful past funerals held prayers for fallen commanders implicit their coffins earlier the unfastened ceremonies, aboriginal aired connected authorities television.

During the 12 days earlier the ceasefire, Israel claimed it killed astir 30 Iranian commanders and 11 atomic scientists, portion hitting 8 nuclear-related facilities and much than 720 subject infrastructure sites.

Iran fired much than 550 ballistic missiles astatine Israel, astir of which were intercepted, but those that got done caused harm successful galore areas and killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures.

The Israeli attacks connected Iran killed astatine slightest 627 civilians, Tehran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education said.

After the US strikes, Trump said negotiations connected Iran’s atomic programme for a caller woody were acceptable to restart adjacent week, but Tehran denied determination were plans for a resumption.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies