Iran has held a large-scale state funeral in Tehran for approximately 60 individuals, including senior military commanders and nuclear scientists, who were killed during a recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
The ceremony, held near Enghelab Square, drew thousands of mourners dressed in black, many waving national flags. Coffins wrapped in the Iranian flag and adorned with portraits of the deceased lined the streets as the country paid tribute to some of its most prominent figures lost in the fighting.
The funeral followed a ceasefire announced earlier this week, ending nearly two weeks of hostilities. During the conflict, the United States intervened militarily, targeting key Iranian nuclear installations in a series of strikes.
To facilitate public participation, Iranian authorities launched a nationwide campaign encouraging attendance. Government offices were closed for the day, and citizens were offered free transportation on buses and the metro.
Among those buried was General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s top-ranking military officer and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. He was interred alongside his wife and daughter, who were also killed in an Israeli airstrike. According to Iranian officials, the death toll inside Iran during the conflict reached 627, while Israeli casualties from Iranian missile strikes were reported at 28.
Other key figures laid to rest included Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a leading nuclear scientist and president of Azad University in Tehran.
The event was attended by high-ranking officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in an Israeli strike. State television broadcast live images from the event, capturing the scale and intensity of the national mourning.
The funeral came amid renewed tensions following comments made by former U.S. President Donald Trump during a press briefing at the White House.
Responding to a question from the BBC’s Nomia Iqbal, Trump said he would “without question” authorize further attacks on Iran if U.S. intelligence found the country had enriched uranium to dangerous levels.
He also directed sharp criticism at Iran’s leadership, stating:
“Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war-torn country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the war with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie.”
Trump continued:
“I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death, and he does not have to say, ‘thank-you, president Trump!’”
He added that he knew “exactly where he [Khamenei] was sheltered,” and warned that he would not hesitate to prevent any attempt to “terminate his life” by U.S. or Israeli forces.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a formal response, condemning Trump’s language and urging restraint.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei,” Araghchi posted on X.
He continued:
“The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had no choice but to run to ‘Daddy’ to avoid being flattened by our Missiles, do not take kindly to Threats and Insults.”
Araghchi also confirmed that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had suffered “excessive and serious” damage during the airstrikes, though the full extent remains undisclosed.
Commenting on the issue, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told CBS News that diplomacy, not force, would be key to resolving the nuclear standoff.
“You are not going to solve this in a definitive way militarily, you are going to have an agreement,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump turned to his Truth Social platform to explain a shift in his stance.
“In recent days I had been working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery,” he wrote.
He concluded:
“Instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more.”
