DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in downtown Tehran for the funeral of several high-ranking officials from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, including its chief, General Hossein Salami, and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guard’s ballistic missile program. Both generals, along with other military commanders and nuclear scientists, were killed during a 12-day conflict with Israel.
The caskets of the fallen leaders were transported on trucks along Tehran’s Azadi Street, where mourners chanted slogans such as "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." The conflict began on June 13, when Israel initiated an assault aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear program, specifically targeting military figures, scientists, and nuclear sites.
State media reported that over 1 million people attended the funeral procession, although this number couldn't be independently verified. The crowd stretched along the entire 4.5-kilometer (nearly 3-mile) route. There was a notable absence of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in state broadcasts, as he has not been publicly seen since the conflict erupted. Historically, Khamenei has participated in such ceremonies, praying over the caskets of fallen commanders.
In attendance were Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and General Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force, along with General Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Khamenei who sustained injuries during the initial phase of the Israeli strikes.
The Revolutionary Guard, established after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, has evolved from a domestic security force into a significant military entity that assists Iran’s allies throughout the region, including Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. It operates alongside Iran’s conventional military forces and oversees the country's ballistic missile program, which has been utilized against Israel during the recent conflict.
Throughout the 12 days of warfare prior to a ceasefire declared on June 24, Israeli forces claimed to have killed approximately 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, targeting eight nuclear-related facilities and over 720 military installations. The violence resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 individuals, which included at least 417 civilians, according to a report from the Human Rights Activists group based in Washington, D.C.
In retaliation, Iran launched over 550 ballistic missiles aimed at Israel; although most were intercepted, the few that got through led to casualties, with 28 reported dead. Saturday’s funerals marked the first public memorials for top commanders since the ceasefire, with state media indicating a total of 60 individuals were honored, encompassing four women and four children.
To facilitate attendance at the ceremonies, government offices were closed. Many attendees voiced feelings of anger and defiance. One mourner, 43-year-old Ahmad Mousapoor, expressed, "This is not a ceasefire, this is just a pause. Whatever they do, we will definitely give a crushing response."
State media released images showing an open grave at Tehran's Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery where General Mohammad Bagheri, who was also killed on June 13, was to be laid to rest alongside his brother, a former Guards commander killed in the Iran-Iraq war. Others were to be interred in their hometowns.
The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency confirmed the death of Ali Ghanaatkar, the chief prosecutor at the notorious Evin prison, who was killed in an Israeli attack. His prosecution of dissidents had faced widespread condemnation from human rights groups; he is to be buried at a shrine in Qom.
Iran consistently claims that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes. However, Israel perceives it as an existential threat, asserting that military action is necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Khamenei's last public appearance occurred on June 11, just before the outbreak of hostilities, while he recently issued a pre-recorded video message post-ceasefire, filled with threats against the United States and Israel, labeling the military campaign a victory.
Rafael Grossi, head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, described the damage inflicted on Iran's Fordo nuclear site by American bunker-buster bombs as "very, very, very considerable."
