Iran holds a state funeral

On the morning of June 28, local time, a large-scale state funeral was held in Tehran, the capital of Iran, for about 60 senior commanders and scientists who died in recent Israeli military operations. The new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, attended the farewell ceremony.

According to reports from Iran’s official news agency IRNA and other media, the ceremony team set out from Enghelab Square in the city center and marched to Freedom Square in western Tehran. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered along the streets, holding Iranian flags and photos of the dead, shouting slogans such as “Down with the United States” and “Down with Israel” to express anger and condolences. The coffins of senior military officers such as Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the missile force, placed on trucks, slowly moved forward through Freedom Avenue and were sent off by the masses.

It is worth noting that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not appear in the live broadcast of the funeral on Iranian national television. In many previous official funerals, Khamenei usually presided over the prayer session before the formal ceremony. This absence has caused speculation about his health and political trends.

According to the Associated Press, citing the IDF, Israel claimed that the action was intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and attack scientists and military command systems. In the 12-day conflict, about 30 senior Iranian generals and 11 nuclear scientists were killed by the Israeli army, and 8 nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military targets were destroyed.

The conflict began on June 13 and was the first large-scale direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel since the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. The war was triggered by Israel’s air strikes on Iran’s Natanz, Isfahan and other nuclear facilities and military targets. Iran immediately launched a full-scale military retaliation and launched a large number of missiles at Israel. Under international mediation, the two sides achieved a ceasefire on June 25.

According to statistics from the Iranian health department, since the 13th, Israel’s air strikes on many parts of Iran have killed 627 people and injured 4,870 people in Iran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei made his first televised speech after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran on the 26th, accusing Trump of “exaggerating” the effect of the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He congratulated Iran on its “victory over Israel and the United States” and emphasized that Iran “slapped the United States hard.”

Trump wrote on the social platform on the 27th that Khamenei said Iran won the war against Israel, but this is not the case. Trump wrote: “He (Khamenei) should not lie. His country was destroyed and three nuclear facilities were destroyed.” Trump also said that “it is clear where he (Khamenei) is hiding, but he will not let Israel or the US armed forces…end his life”, “I saved his life”

This move has attracted strong criticism from Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi posted on social media in the early morning of the 28th that the Iranian people never let others decide their own destiny. “If President Trump really wants to make a deal, he should put aside his disrespectful and unacceptable tone toward Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei.”

In addition, Israeli Defense Minister Katz posted on social media on the 27th that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to prepare an action plan against Iran, including: maintaining Israel’s air superiority, preventing Iran from developing nuclear programs and producing missiles, and retaliating against Iran’s support for “anti-Israel terrorist activities.” “We will take regular actions to guard against such threats.”

Aragzi responded: “In order to avoid being razed to the ground by our (Iranian) missiles, Israel can only turn to the (American) ‘Dad’ for help. We will not accept any threats and insults… If illusions lead to more serious mistakes, Iran will not hesitate to show its true capabilities, which will definitely end any illusions about Iran’s power.”