Latest news with #GeneralHajizadeh
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
‘Death to America' chants ring out at funeral for Iranian commanders killed in war as Trump warns US would bomb again
THE mass funeral for the Iranian commanders wiped out in the war has been plagued by "Death to America" chants and the burning of Israeli flags. Over a million people have reportedly lined the streets of Tehran just hours after Donald Trump warned he would bomb the evil regime again if they ever cross the US. 5 5 5 Twisted chants of "Death to America" could be heard ringing out across the event today as pro-Ayatollah mourners flocked to the public procession. The caskets of top military commanders and nuclear scientists all eliminated by Israel during the gruelling 12-day war were all hauled through the capital. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps chief General Hossein Salami - known as one of Iran's most powerful military leaders - and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh were among the bodies being laid to rest. Both were directly targeted by Israel for their role in developing Tehran's ballistic missile program. The two twisted generals were taken out within hours of the conflict kicking off on June 13. Some mourners even started to trample on the flags of Israel and the US as the caskets came past with others setting them alight. It comes amid a surging number of Iranians who are turning against the evil regime following the war. Many have voiced their issues with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was again nowhere to be seen at the funeral. The cowering 86-year-old hasn't been seen in person for almost two weeks now and is said to have been forced into a secret bunker amid threats on his life from both Trump and Israel. The US president has even claimed he saved the Ayatollah from an "ugly death" by ordering Israeli jets to turn around mid-air during an attack. Funeral-goers at one point pledged their allegiance to the twisted leader as they chanted: 'Oh noble Leader, we are ready!" Around 60 caskets were wheeled out with many being draped in the national colours of red, white and green. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi - now among the most high-profile names in Tehran's cabinet - led the procession. He made a rare admission as he said the number of lives lost in the short-lived conflict is 'hard and painful'. 5 5
Sky News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Chants of 'death to America' at funeral for Iranian military commanders and scientists
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Tehran to mourn top military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Iran's 12-day war with Israel. Iran's state-run Press TV said the event - dubbed the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power" - was held for a total of 60 people, including four women and four children. It said at least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among the dead, including the head of the Revolutionary Guard General Hossein Salami and the head of the guard's ballistic missile programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Their coffins were driven on trucks into the Iranian capital's Azadi Square adorned with their pictures as well as rose petals and flowers, as crowds waved Iranian flags. Mourners dressed in black, while chants of "death to America" and "death to Israel" could be heard. Attending the funeral were Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures, including Ali Shamkhani who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There was no immediate sign of the supreme leader in the state broadcast of the funeral. Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. The US launched strikes on three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran, which Donald Trump said left them "obilterated". The Iranian government denies having a nuclear weapons programme and the UN nuclear watchdog, which carries out inspections in Iran, has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in the country. 2:00 Over the almost two weeks of fighting, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side, 13 of whom were children and 49 were women. Israel's health ministry said 28 people were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.
BreakingNews.ie
10 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Huge crowds mourn Iranian military chiefs and scientists killed in strikes
Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Tehran on Saturday for the funerals of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Guard's chief General Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard's ballistic missile programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital's Azadi Street as people in the crowds chanted 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel'. Advertisement Generals Salami and Hajizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched an attack it said was meant to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities. Mourners during the funeral ceremony in Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran (Vahid Salemi/AP) State media reported more than a million people turned out for the funeral procession, which was impossible to independently confirm, but the dense crowd packed the main Tehran thoroughfare along the entire 4.5km (nearly three-mile) route. There was no immediate sign of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the state broadcast of the funeral. The Ayatollah, who has not made a public appearance since before the outbreak of the war, has in past funerals held prayers for fallen commanders over their caskets before the open ceremonies, later aired on state television. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was on hand, and state television reported that General Esmail Qaani, who heads the foreign wing of the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, and General Ali Shamkhani were also among the mourners. Advertisement Gen Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei who was wounded in the first round of Israel's attack, was shown in a civilian suit leaning on a cane in an image distributed on state television's Telegram channel. A mourner holds a poster of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the funerals in Tehran (Vahid Salemi/AP) Iran's Revolutionary Guard was created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since it was established, it has evolved from a paramilitary, domestic security force to a transnational force that has come to the aid of Tehran's allies in the Middle East, from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq. It operates in parallel to the country's existing armed forces and controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Over 12 days before a ceasefire was declared on Tuesday, 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. Advertisement More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-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. Saturday's ceremonies were the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian state television reported that they were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children. Authorities closed government offices to allow public servants to attend the ceremonies. Advertisement Many in the crowd expressed feelings of anger and defiance. 'This is not a ceasefire, this is just a pause,' said Ahmad Mousapoor, 43, waving an Iranian flag. 'Whatever they do, we will definitely give a crushing response.' People burn a US flag as they take part in the funeral ceremony (Vahid Salemi/AP) State media published images of an open grave plot at Tehran's Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery where army chief of staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, who was killed on the first day of the war, was to be buried beside his brother, a Guards commander killed during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war. Many of the others were to be buried in their home towns. Advertisement The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency confirmed that the top prosecutor at the notorious Evin prison had been killed in an Israeli strike on Monday. It reported that Ali Ghanaatkar, whose prosecution of dissidents led to widespread criticism by human rights groups, would be buried at a shrine in Qom. Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and said its military campaign was necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon. Ayatollah Khamenei's last public appearance was on June 11, two days before hostilities with Israel broke out, when he met Iranian parliamentarians. On Thursday, however, he released a pre-recorded video, in his first message since the end of the war, filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic's longtime adversaries. The 86-year-old downplayed US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites as having not achieved 'anything significant', and claimed victory over Israel. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, Rafael Grossi, has characterised the damage done by American bunker-buster bombs to Iran's Fordo nuclear site, which was built into a mountain, as 'very, very, very considerable'.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Huge crowds mourn Iranian military chiefs and scientists killed in strikes
Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Tehran on Saturday for the funerals of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Guard's chief General Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard's ballistic missile programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital's Azadi Street as people in the crowds chanted 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel'. Generals Salami and Hajizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched an attack it said was meant to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities. State media reported more than a million people turned out for the funeral procession, which was impossible to independently confirm, but the dense crowd packed the main Tehran thoroughfare along the entire 4.5km (nearly three-mile) route. There was no immediate sign of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the state broadcast of the funeral. The Ayatollah, who has not made a public appearance since before the outbreak of the war, has in past funerals held prayers for fallen commanders over their caskets before the open ceremonies, later aired on state television. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was on hand, and state television reported that General Esmail Qaani, who heads the foreign wing of the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds Force, and General Ali Shamkhani were also among the mourners. Gen Shamkhani, an adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei who was wounded in the first round of Israel's attack, was shown in a civilian suit leaning on a cane in an image distributed on state television's Telegram channel. Iran's Revolutionary Guard was created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Since it was established, it has evolved from a paramilitary, domestic security force to a transnational force that has come to the aid of Tehran's allies in the Middle East, from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq. It operates in parallel to the country's existing armed forces and controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Over 12 days before a ceasefire was declared on Tuesday, 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 Washington-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. Saturday's ceremonies were the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian state television reported that they were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children. Authorities closed government offices to allow public servants to attend the ceremonies. Many in the crowd expressed feelings of anger and defiance. 'This is not a ceasefire, this is just a pause,' said Ahmad Mousapoor, 43, waving an Iranian flag. 'Whatever they do, we will definitely give a crushing response.' State media published images of an open grave plot at Tehran's Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery where army chief of staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, who was killed on the first day of the war, was to be buried beside his brother, a Guards commander killed during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war. Many of the others were to be buried in their home towns. The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency confirmed that the top prosecutor at the notorious Evin prison had been killed in an Israeli strike on Monday. It reported that Ali Ghanaatkar, whose prosecution of dissidents led to widespread criticism by human rights groups, would be buried at a shrine in Qom. Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and said its military campaign was necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon. Ayatollah Khamenei's last public appearance was on June 11, two days before hostilities with Israel broke out, when he met Iranian parliamentarians. On Thursday, however, he released a pre-recorded video, in his first message since the end of the war, filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic's longtime adversaries. The 86-year-old downplayed US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites as having not achieved 'anything significant', and claimed victory over Israel. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, Rafael Grossi, has characterised the damage done by American bunker-buster bombs to Iran's Fordo nuclear site, which was built into a mountain, as 'very, very, very considerable'.
Times of Oman
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Israel strikes Iran, killing military leaders, scientists
Almost the entire top brass of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Air Force and the head of its missile program, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were killed in Friday's strikes, according to the Israeli military. Tehran later confirmed the deaths on state television. Israel also claimed to have inflicted "significant damage" on an underground nuclear site in the town of Natanz in the central province of Isfahan, which it claims featured uranium enrichment facilities such as centrifuges. It said it had destroyed key infrastructure "which is vital to the continued operation and further development of the Iranian regime's nuclear program." In a statement, it described the site as "Iran's largest uranium enrichment facility which has been working towards the development of nuclear weapons for years and which is equipped with the necessary infrastructure for military enrichment." Iran has always insisted that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes, and claimed that most of the damage inflicted on the underground facility on Friday was at ground level. "Most of the damage is on the surface level," said a spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, adding that there had been "no casualties" at the facility where the enrichment centrifuges are housed underground. Israeli strikes 'designed to kill' US nuclear deal with Iran, ECFR fellow says Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were "designed to kill [US] President [Donald] Trump's chances of striking a deal to contain the Iranian nuclear program," a fellow and deputy program director from the European Council on Foreign Relations said. Ellie Geranmayeh, from the ECFR's Middle East and North Africa department, said in an email to DW that the Israeli strikes were "the biggest military attack Iran has faced since the war with Iraq in the 1980s." The attacks came just two days before a scheduled round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran. While Washington has insisted that Israel acted unilaterally, Geranmayeh noted that the US "may however have had a supporting role, and will likely be engaged in defending Israel against Iranian counter-strikes. "In Iran's view, there is no way that the Netanyahu government acted without a US green light," she said. Geranmayeh added that Iran going forward with the scheduled nuclear talks was "highly unlikely" at this point, despite Washington reiterating its commitment. "While some Israeli officials argue that these attacks aimed to strengthen the US leverage in the diplomatic path — it is clear their timing and large-scale nature was intended to completely derail talks," she said. The ECFR fellow urged European leaders to make sure they do not get dragged into the conflict and "be clear-eyed that this was a major attack initiated by Israel, designed to up the ante against Tehran and drag the region into confrontation." Geranmayeh called for US, European and Arab coordination to de-escalate the growing tensions in the Middle East region.
