Thousands line streets for state funerals of Iranian officials killed by Israeli airstrikes

ITV News

16 hours ago

State funerals are underway in Iran for the officials killed by Israeli airstrikes during 12 days of conflict, as ITV News' Will Tullis reports
Thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists killed by Israeli airstrikes.
Among them were the head of the Revolutionary Guard, Major General Hossein Salami, and General Mohammad Bagheri, the Iranian armed forces chief of staff, who were both killed on the first of 12 days of conflict.
Their caskets were driven on trucks along the capital's Azadi Street, in the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire.
Iranian state television reported that the ceremonies were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children.
On June 13, Israel launched what it described as "pre-emptive" strikes against targets in Iran, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities.
The strikes and retaliatory fire from Iran escalated over the following days and culminated in the US getting directly involved, launching its own missiles at Iran's nuclear sites.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump brokered what remains a fragile ceasefire but just three days later, he said he would "absolutely" consider dropping American bombs again, if there was evidence Iran was developing nuclear weapons.
In the 12 days before the ceasefire was declared, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites.
More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists group.
Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people.