Iran held a state funeral on Saturday for approximately 60 individuals, including high-ranking military officers and leading nuclear scientists, killed during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.
The ceremony, which took place near Enghelab Square in central Tehran, drew massive crowds of mourners dressed in black, waving Iranian flags and chanting tributes to the deceased. Rows of coffins, draped in the national flag and bearing portraits of the fallen, were laid out in solemn display amid heightened emotions and nationalist fervour.
Among the most prominent figures honoured was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s chief of staff and the country’s highest-ranking military officer. Also laid to rest were IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami and several senior nuclear scientists, including Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, president of Azad University in Tehran.
The funeral came just days after a ceasefire ended nearly two weeks of intense hostilities between Iran and Israel—a conflict that escalated dramatically following direct U.S. involvement, including airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration previously withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, sparked further controversy with a series of provocative comments. During a White House press briefing, Trump told BBC journalist Nomia Iqbal that he would “absolutely” consider authorising another strike on Iran if intelligence indicated uranium enrichment at dangerous levels.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump also mocked Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over his claim of victory in the conflict. “I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death, and he does not have to say, ‘thank you, President Trump!’” he posted, referring to an alleged decision not to assassinate Khamenei.
The remarks drew a swift rebuke from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who condemned Trump’s tone as “disrespectful and unacceptable.” In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi wrote, “The Great and Powerful Iranian People, who showed the world that the Israeli regime had no choice but to run to ‘Daddy’ to avoid being flattened by our missiles, do not take kindly to threats and insults.”
While Iranian officials insist the strikes inflicted no strategic damage, Araghchi acknowledged that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had sustained “excessive and serious” harm.
Saturday’s state funeral served not only as a national day of mourning but also as a symbolic gesture of defiance by Tehran—reinforcing its narrative of resilience and resistance in the face of foreign aggression.
