Latest news with #TehranFuneral
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Iran Holds State Funeral for Military Commanders and Nuclear Scientists
Thousands of mourners thronged the streets of Iran's capital, Tehran, on Saturday at a funeral procession for about 60 people killed in the war with Israel, including some of the country's top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Live coverage by Iranian state television showed streets that were barren during the 12-day war now packed for the state funeral. Participants waved green, red and white Iranian flags, red banners with religious slogans or branches of white flowers. The often-heard public chants in the Islamic Republic, 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel,' rang out as trucks with caskets in the back inched along the route between two of Tehran's main squares. From there, the caskets were expected to be transferred for burial at various cemeteries. Some of the deceased will be interred with their families. There was no sign of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but President Masoud Pezeshkian marched in the procession. The funeral was a reminder of the heavy toll Iran had paid not only in losses from the top echelon of its military forces, but also from its contentious nuclear program. Among more than 600 people killed in the Israeli attacks, 90 of them were military personnel, according to Iranian state television. The dead included at least 11 prominent nuclear scientists. The coffins were covered in a clear wrap over an Iranian flag and scattered with rose petals. One truck held the caskets of children, according to Press TV, a state media outlet. As the dead passed, mourners reached out to kiss or touch the coffins. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
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. Follow live: 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 " 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 , 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. 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. Read more from Sky News: 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.
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Iran holds funeral for top military commanders and scientists killed by Israel
June 28 (Reuters) - Mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran's capital Tehran at a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month's war with Israel. At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Their coffins were driven into Tehran's Azadi Square adorned with their pictures as well as rose petals and flowers, as crowds waved Iranian flags. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display. State TV said the funeral, dubbed the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power", was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children. Attending the funeral were 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. Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said its war against regional rival Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran denies having a nuclear weapons program. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, which carries out inspections in Iran, has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in Iran. A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists during the war. According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the 12-day war, 13 of them children and 49 women, before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured. Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians. Israel's health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured.
