Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Saturday for a mass funeral procession honoring dozens of Iranian military commanders and high-ranking officials killed in Israeli airstrikes during a 12-day conflict that has dramatically intensified regional tensions.
The ceremony began at Enghelab Square and is making its way toward Azadi Square—an iconic route for major state events. Iranian state media broadcast scenes of mourners clad in black, carrying Iranian flags and portraits of the fallen leaders, many of whom held critical positions within Iran’s military and defense establishments.
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Among the 60 officials being commemorated are Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces General Mohammad Bagheri, IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami, and IRGC Aerospace Force head Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh. The airstrikes also claimed the lives of nuclear scientists and civilians.
Footage showed coffins draped in Iran’s national flag, each marked with the name and rank of the deceased. The display was accompanied by chants of mourning and defiance, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling the slain “martyrs of the nation’s defence” and vowing retaliation.
The funeral comes amid growing fears of a broader regional war, with Iranian leadership signaling that a strong response is imminent.
