Tehran (TDI): Grief swept through central Tehran on Saturday as thousands gathered to honor top Iranian military figures and nuclear scientists killed during nearly two weeks of fierce fighting with Israel.
The funeral procession moved slowly down Azadi Street, where mourners surrounded the caskets of senior figures from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, and Gen. Amir Ali Hajjizadeh, who led Iran’s ballistic missile program. Both were killed in Israeli strikes on the first day of hostilities, June 13.
During the 12-day conflict, Israel said it had launched a series of strikes aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and eliminating key figures behind its military and atomic ambitions.
Over 12 days before a truce was declared on Tuesday, Israel claimed it killed nearly 30 Iranian commanders and eleven nuclear scientists, while targeting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. Over one thousand people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group.
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In response, Iran fired over 550 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory. While Israel’s missile defense systems intercepted the majority, several still broke through, causing significant damage and resulting in 28 fatalities.
Saturday’s funerals marked the first major public mourning event since the ceasefire. Iranian state media reported that the ceremonies honored 60 individuals, among them four women and four children. Government offices were closed for the day to allow employees to take part in the mourning.
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Iran continues to maintain that its nuclear ambitions are strictly peaceful. However, Israel has long argued that Iran’s nuclear program poses an existential danger and justified its preemptive strikes as necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
