Tehran, the capital of Iran, was filled with mourners on June 28 to commemorate top military officials, nuclear physicists, as well as some civilians who lost their lives in the recent aerial warfare with Israel. Streaked in a sea of black attire, the city’s populous paid their respects to the departed, framing a poignant picture of nation-wide grief.
The group of notable figures who were laid to rest included Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Armed Forces, General Hossein Salami, the Commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the Chief of the Guards Aerospace Force. 10 high-ranking officers and 16 scientists were amongst those who were given their last honors, as affirmed by local media reports.
Coffins adorned with images of the late leaders and swathed in the national flag were ceremoniously marched through Azadi Square in Tehran. Overcome by emotion, the throng of mourners reach out to the caskets as they passed by, some going as far as to scatter rose petals in a final heartfelt farewell.
Images of ballistic missiles were broadcasted by the state-controlled Press TV, providing an ominous backdrop to the ongoing funeral procession labeled as the ‘procession of Martyrs of Power’. According to state media, the ceremony was held in memory of sixty lives claimed throughout the conflict, including four women and four children who found themselves in the crossfire.
Paying their respects among the populous were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other high-ranking officials. These included Ali Shamkhani, who had suffered serious injuries in the dispute and now serves as the advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba.
No official statement has been publicly issued from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since the commencement of the conflict. Khamenei has historically led prayers for departed senior commanders during past funerals, oftentimes preceding public ceremonies that are subsequently broadcasted on state television.
The sequence of events was set into motion when Israel initiated air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13. The strikes resulted in significant damage to the Islamic Republic, including the devastating loss of top military officials and innocent civilians; an event that has been framed as the worst blow to the country since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
Iran responded with a barrage of missile attacks on Israeli military sites, cities, and infrastructure. The United States, backing Israel, entered the war on June 22 by launching their own attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Israel, the only country in the Middle East suspected of possessing nuclear weapons, justified its actions under the premise of preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon of their own. Iran, on the other hand, has consistently denied allegations of an active nuclear weapons program.
An assertion further upheld by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, who reported a lack of credible evidence suggesting an active, coordinated nuclear weapons program in Iran. The first day of the war witnessed the deaths of Bagheri, Salami, and Hajizadeh.
Investitures took place for Bagheri, who was laid to rest at the Behesht Zahra cemetery on the outskirts of Tehran on June 28. Funeral proceedings for Salami and Hajizadeh were scheduled for the following day.
A senior Israeli military official broke the silence on June 27 by claiming that the actions of Israel had significantly impaired Iran’s nuclear initiatives. On the next day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards proclaimed in a statement that Israel and the U.S. had fallen short of achieving the goals they had declared at the start of the war.
According to statistical data from the Iranian Health Ministry, the conflict resulted in 610 Iranian casualties before reaching a ceasefire on June 24, with a further 4,700 reported injuries. However, activist news agency HRANA argued these figures, suggesting the number of deaths reached 974, including 387 civilian lives.
Meanwhile in Israel, data collected by the nation’s health ministry reported 28 fatalities and 3,238 injuries. Despite the mutual devastation, both nations continue to grapple with the long-term consequences and reparations following the conclusion of this month-long aerial warfare.