Eric Patrick
Hundreds of thousands gathered in Tehran on Saturday for the state funerals of top military officials, nuclear scientists, and women and children killed by Israeli attacks earlier this month.
Attendees, most of whom were dressed entirely in black, chanted death to Israel and America.
Images from the capital showed rows of coffins draped in Iranian flags, many adorned with portraits of the deceased in military uniform.
Mourners, including members of the armed forces and grieving families, gathered to pay their respects in what has become one of the most significant public commemorations since hostilities between the two nations escalated.
Among the dead were senior officers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whose deaths are seen as a major blow to Iran’s military hierarchy.
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First News described the ceremony as “a tribute to the martyrs of the resistance,” while Iranian officials vowed that their sacrifices would not be in vain.
senior Iranian officials reiterated their commitment to avenge what they called “Zionist crimes” and declared that Iran’s resolve to support resistance movements across the region remains unshaken.
“The blood of our martyrs strengthens the roots of our resistance,” said IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif. “We will respond at the right time and in the right manner.”
The ceremony also served as a show of unity, with thousands of Iranians lining the streets around the square, chanting slogans against Israel and the United States.
