A solemn state funeral was held in Iran to honor dozens of individuals, including senior military figures and nuclear scientists, who were killed during a recent 12-day conflict with Israel. The emotionally charged ceremony took place near Enghelab Square in Tehran, where rows of coffins draped in Iranian flags were surrounded by mourning citizens.
Portraits of the deceased—many of them well-known national figures—were displayed alongside the coffins. Thousands of Iranians, dressed in black, gathered to chant slogans, wave national flags, and pay their respects.
Nationwide Mourning
In anticipation of the funeral, Iranian state media launched a coordinated campaign urging public participation. Free transport via buses and metro services was provided, and all government offices remained closed for the day, underscoring the magnitude of the national loss.
Among the most notable figures being laid to rest was General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s chief of staff and its highest-ranking military officer. Bagheri perished alongside his wife and daughter in an Israeli airstrike. Iranian officials reported a total of 627 fatalities from the conflict within their borders, while Israeli sources stated that 28 people died in retaliatory missile strikes launched by Iran.
Other prominent individuals buried included Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a senior nuclear physicist and the head of Azad University in Tehran.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, a key advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were also seen attending the ceremony. Shamkhani, who survived an Israeli strike earlier this month, appeared visibly injured but defiant.
Trump’s Warning and Rhetoric
Tensions escalated further when former U.S. President Donald Trump commented during a White House press briefing that he would “absolutely” consider launching another attack on Iran. In response to a question from the BBC’s Nomia Iqbal, Trump stated he would not hesitate to act if intelligence reports confirmed Iran was approaching weapons-grade uranium enrichment.
Trump also took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to criticize Ayatollah Khamenei for claiming victory over Israel. Calling the Supreme Leader’s statement a “lie,” Trump asserted that he had spared Khamenei from what he described as “a very ugly and humiliating death,” implying that U.S. and Israeli forces had the capability to eliminate him but chose restraint.
“I don’t need a ‘thank you,’ but I know exactly where he was hiding,” Trump posted. “He owes his survival to our decision not to act.”
Iran’s Diplomatic ResponseI
ran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, condemned Trump’s rhetoric as “disrespectful and inflammatory.” Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Araghchi warned that such statements undermine diplomatic channels and show a fundamental disregard for Iran’s leadership and people.
“If President Trump is truly interested in negotiating, he must change his tone and abandon this pattern of provocation,” Araghchi wrote.
Despite publicly brushing off the impact of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, Araghchi admitted that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure suffered “substantial and serious” damage during the attacks.
Nuclear Uncertainty and International Concerns
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that the full extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities is still unclear. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized that the destruction of centrifuges and enriched uranium stockpiles cannot be accurately assessed at this stage.
Grossi also stressed that diplomacy, not warfare, is the only viable path to preventing nuclear proliferation. “This situation won’t be resolved by military action,” he told CBS News. “Only a negotiated agreement can bring lasting security.”
Meanwhile, Trump claimed on social media that he had been working toward lifting sanctions and facilitating economic relief for Iran—until Khamenei’s inflammatory remarks halted those efforts.
“I was close to offering a path to recovery,” Trump said. “But his statement of hatred and deceit made that impossible