Photos of the funeral of top Iranian military commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran for the funeral of top Iranian commanders and scientists killed in a 12-day war with Israel.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
June 28, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
Senators prep for a weekend of work to meet Trump's deadline for passing his tax and spending cuts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump's package of tax breaks and spending cuts by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks. The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday. Senators were expected to take a procedural vote Saturday to begin debate on the legislation, but the timing was uncertain and there is a long path ahead, with at least 10 hours of debate time and an all-night voting session on countless amendments. Senate passage could be days away, and the bill would need to return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. 'It's evolving,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as he prepared to close up the chamber late Friday. The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. Trump is pushing Congress to wrap it up, even as he sometimes gives mixed signals, allowing for more time. At recent events at the White House, including Friday, Trump has admonished the 'grandstanders' among GOP holdouts to fall in line. 'We can get it done,' Trump said in a social media post. 'It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country.' The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda. But the spending cuts that Republicans are relying on to offset the lost tax revenues are causing dissent within the GOP ranks. Some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation's debt, are pushing for steeper cuts. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he is concerned about the fundamentals of the package and will not support the procedural motion to begin debate. 'I'm voting no on the motion to proceed,' he said. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., pushing for deeper cuts, said he needed to see the final legislative text. The release of that draft had been delayed as the Senate parliamentarian reviewed the bill to ensure it complied with the chamber's strict 'Byrd Rule,' named for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, It largely bars policy matters from inclusion in budget bills unless a provision can get 60 votes to overcome objections. That would be a tall order in a Senate with a 53-47 GOP edge and Democrats unified against Trump's bill. Republicans suffered a series of setbacks after several proposals were determined to be out of compliance by the chief arbiter of the Senate's rules. One plan would have shifted some food stamp costs from the federal government to the states; a second would have gutted the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But over the past days, Republicans have quickly revised those proposals and reinstated them. The final text includes a proposal for cuts to a Medicaid provider tax that had run into parliamentary objections and opposition from several senators worried about the fate of rural hospitals. The new version extends the start date for those cuts and establishes a $25 billion fund to aid rural hospitals and providers. Most states impose the provider tax as a way to boost federal Medicaid reimbursements. Some Republicans argue that is a scam and should be abolished. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that under the House-passed version of the bill, some 10.9 million more people would go without health care and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid. The CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which proposes steeper reductions. Top income-earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House bill, while the poorest Americans would face a $1,600 tax increase, the CBO said. One unresolved issue remains the so-called SALT provision, a deduction for state and local taxes that has been a top priority of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states. The cap is now $10,000. The White House and House Republicans had narrowed in on a plan for a $40,000 cap, but for five years instead of 10. Republican senators says that's too generous. At least one House GOP holdout, Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, said he cannot support the compromise. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what's in it. 'There's no good reason for Republicans to chase a silly deadline,' Schumer said. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent his colleagues home for the weekend with plans to be on call to return to Washington, said they are 'very close' to finishing up. 'We would still like to meet that July Fourth, self-imposed deadline,' said Johnson, R-La. With the narrow Republicans majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board to ensure passage. Johnson and Thune have stayed close to the White House, relying on Trump to pressure holdout lawmakers. ___ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.
Time Magazine
38 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Trump Issues Blistering Response After Iran Threatens U.S.
President Donald Trump issued blistering remarks in response to Iran's Supreme Leader claiming victory over Israel and, by extension, the U.S. In a loaded public message, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had also threatened to attack more U.S. Military bases, further splintering the Middle Eastern country's relationship with the U.S. 'Look, you're a man of great faith. A man who's highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell,' Trump said as he addressed the Iranian Supreme Leader during a White House press conference on Friday. Trump issued an even stronger response on his social media platform, Truth Social, later in the day, and doubled down on his stance once more when he reposted his message early Saturday morning. In the lengthy post, Trump accused Khamenei of publicly sharing a 'lie' by claiming Iran achieved a victory over Israel. He reaffirmed his much debated viewpoint that the U.S. strikes 'obliterated' the three key nuclear facilities it targeted on Saturday, June 21. Trump also seemingly made reference to previous reports that stated the White House turned down a plan by Israel to try and kill Khamenei. 'His country was decimated, his three evil nuclear sites were obliterated, and I knew exactly where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces... terminate his life. I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death,' Trump said, lamenting that Khamenei would not 'thank' him for this. 'During the last few days, I was 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. The sanctions are biting! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief.' According to Congress, the U.S. sanctions on Iran 'are arguably the most extensive and comprehensive set of sanctions that the United States maintains on any country.' They block Iranian government assets in the U.S., ban nearly all U.S. trade with Iran, and prohibit foreign assistance and arms sales. Read More: How U.S. Strikes May Have Inadvertently Helped the Iranian Regime Trump concluded his charged social media message by saying 'Iran has to get back into the world order flow' or else things 'will only get worse for them.' 'They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them. A burned out, blown up country with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy, and death all around them. They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with honey than you do with vinegar. Peace!" Khamenei broke his silence on Thursday, publicly speaking out—via a pre-recorded televised address and various social media comments— for the first time since Trump announced the (admittedly fragile) cease-fire between Israel and Iran. In his televised message, Khamenei threatened to attack more U.S. military bases should any more aggression from the U.S. side occur. 'The Islamic Republic slapped America in the face. It attacked one of the important American bases in the region,' Khamenei said, referring to his country's air assault on Al Udeid Air Base, a U.S. airbase in Qatar. The strikes were intercepted by the U.S. (except for one that was allowed to proceed as there was no risk of contact), and no casualties were reported. The military action was retaliatory, a direct response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities. Khamenei claimed 'total victory' over Israel. But Israel, the U.S., and Iran have all claimed to have won the war that started on June 13, when Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, amid growing concern over Iran's nuclear capabilities. When the U.S. actively joined the conflict on June 21, striking three key Iranian nuclear facilities, world leaders urged de-escalation and a return to negotiations, amid fears of a far-reaching war erupting. Read More: 'Gravely Alarmed' World Leaders React After U.S. Strikes Iran Though Trump continues to say that Iran's nuclear sites were 'totally obliterated,' others have cast doubts on how effective the U.S. strikes were in setting back Iran's nuclear program. Leaked U.S. intelligence suggested that the damage to Iran's nuclear program may not be as severe as Trump has stated. CIA director John Ratcliffe said on Wednesday that the sites had been 'severely damaged' by the U.S. strikes, and that it would take years to be rebuilt. Amid the debate, the White House has put out statements arguing Trump's stance that the facilities were "obliterated," labelling reports to the contrary as "fake news." But some Democrats left a classified meeting with lingering questions over the effectiveness of the strikes. 'There's no doubt there was damage done to the program, but the allegations that we have obliterated their program just don't seem to stand up to reason,' said Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut on Thursday. 'To me, it still appears that we have only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months.' When asked about concerns of Iran having 'secret nuclear sites' at Friday's press conference, Trump said he was 'not worried about it at all.' 'They're exhausted. The last thing they're thinking about right now is nuclear,' he told reporters. 'You know what they're thinking of? They're thinking about tomorrow, trying to live in such a mess. The place was bombed to hell.' Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Trump needs to retire his "disrespectful" tone towards Khamenei if he wants a deal to be struck between the U.S. and Iran.'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, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,' he said. "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 was referencing remarks made by NATO chief Mark Rutte who, during the NATO Summit on Wednesday, referred to Trump as the "daddy" who had to intervene in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
With Iran set back, Trump can now pursue peace in the Middle East
Donald Trump has stumbled into a position of extraordinary power in the Middle East. Through a combination of Israeli military audacity and his willingness to take risks, Trump has humiliated Iran, proven his ability to rein in Israel, and positioned himself as the only actor who can now impose a postwar settlement. He has leverage over everyone, and he should use it now. Iran tried to negotiate with the United States as an equal. It hoped to deter Israel with missile threats, proxies, and nuclear brinkmanship. But Israel just proved how hollow that posture was — launching an astonishingly successful preemptive strike on June 13. Ten days later came something astounding. US B-2 bombers flew deep into Iranian territory and struck nuclear infrastructure directly. 7 President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have an opportunity to achieve lasting peace across the Middle East. REUTERS 7 Benjamin Netanyahu surveying damage to the Soroka Hospital in the southern town of Beer Sheba during Israel's recent 12-day war with Iran. MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Washington wasn't just supporting Israel — it was in the fight. And then Trump essentially imposed a cease-fire. Israel stopped. Iran accepted. The war ended not with negotiations but with an American command. This is military might combined with psychological dominance. Trump effectively used Israel as a proxy to break Iran's posture — then proved he could rein in his proxy the moment it suited him. For Iran, the implications are brutal. If Israel wants to strike again, it very well might. If Trump wants to stop them, he will. This is the context in which US-Iran talks will now resume. They must not be open-ended — Iran cannot be allowed to play for time as they did with President Obama. Trump must make clear that the war demonstrated the limits of Iran's options. The regime survived, but just barely. Its nuclear and missile programs were mauled. Its proxies have been badly weakened. And its people are more skeptical than ever of a leadership that promised strength and delivered only humiliation. 7 Massive bombs such as these were used by American forces against Iran to help dismantle the nation's nuclear armament efforts. AP The terms must be firm, final, and immediate: 1. All uranium enrichment must halt above the 3% civilian threshold allowed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The carrot is that civilian use should be allowed — it is Iran's right under the NPT. 2. The missile program must be ended — especially long-range and precision systems that threaten Israel and Arab capitals. 7 A massive fire at an oil storage depot in Iran illustrates the vast range of targets hit by Israel as it sought to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. AP 3. All support for regional proxy militias must end. That includes Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and the Shiite militias in Iraq. These groups are not bargaining chips — they are the core of Iran's regional aggression. They must go. Iran may protest, posture, and delay. But it is cornered. The Arab world was largely silent during the Israel-Iran war — a signal of tacit approval. Europe's main governments, though nervous, largely backed the US-Israel axis. Tehran has few friends, little credibility, and almost no cards left to play. But the job is only half done. The war in Gaza — at this juncture, pointless, devastating, and politically toxic — must now end. And here, too, Trump has leverage. 7 A graphic detailing Israel's strikes on Iran on June 13 – Operation Rising Lion. Merrill Sherman / NY Post Design Just weeks ago, Netanyahu's government was under siege at home. Protests filled the streets. The hostage crisis dragged on. His coalition teetered. Then came the Iran strike. It gave him breathing room and a narrative of victory. But it came with a debt, and Trump holds the note. Trump can now demand something Netanyahu has blocked because of pressure from far-right figures who can bring down his coalition: end the war in Gaza, and do it in a way that creates a path forward. The plan is clear: The Palestinian Authority must be allowed to return to Gaza. It must come with Arab security backing — likely from Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf partners — and billions in reconstruction aid from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Read the latest on the Israel-Iran conflict: Hamas must disarm and go into exile. And in return, Trump must deliver the next phase of the Abraham Accords. Indeed, the Yisrael Hayom newspaper on Thursday reported that Trump already spoke with Netanyahu about ending the Gaza war within two weeks. The report was not confirmed by authorities. This is where the opportunity becomes historic. Saudi Arabia has signaled that normalization with Israel is possible — but only in the context of serious steps toward Palestinian statehood. With Gaza pacified and the PA in place, Saudi normalization is achievable. 7 An infographic explains how a bunker buster bomb works Merrill Sherman / NY Post Design That, in turn, could bring along others: Oman, maybe even Lebanon, under its new political leadership. Syria's new regime, desperate for international legitimacy because of its jihadist past, has signaled positive intentions as well. Either way, Netanyahu announced that Israel is working for 'dramatic expansion of peace agreements' on Thursday. Trump could expand the Abraham Accords into a true regional security architecture — uniting Israel, moderate Arab states, and even a weakened Iran under US oversight. 7 A scene of destruction in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has waged a war against Hamas for more than 20 months. AFP via Getty Images This would reshape the region. Israel would gain unprecedented legitimacy and regional integration. The Palestinians would get governance, reconstruction, and a foothold toward political relevance. Iran would be contained. And the US would restore its position as the indispensable power in the Middle East. None of this is guaranteed. But all of it is possible — and Trump holds the cards. Dan Perry led Associated Press coverage in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, including the Israel and Iran bureaus. He publishes Ask Questions Later on Substack.
