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Middle East: Killed Iranian generals honored in Tehran – DW – 06/28/2025

Middle East: Killed Iranian generals honored in Tehran – DW – 06/28/2025

DW7 hours ago

Thousands have gathered in Tehran at an official funeral ceremony for military commanders killed in recent Israeli strikes. Iran has said it is fundamentally willing to resume nuclear talks with the US. DW has more.Thousands of people gathered in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday as an official funeral ceremony took place for the dozens of generals and others, including journalists and a nuclear scientist, killed in Israeli strikes.
Among the some 60 people honored were Chief of Staff Mohammed Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC's aerospace division.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the event, along with other senior government officials and military commanders.
Ali Shamkhani, the senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, also took part in the ceremony, using a walking cane after being targeted and wounded in the Israeli attacks, state TV showed.
In 12 days of attacks from June 13, Israel killed more than 30 high-ranking military officials, some in their homes.
Of the 60 people who were to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four were children and four were women.
Israel said its attacks on Iran aimed to stop Tehran becoming a nuclear threat to its security.
As a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran continues to hold, a funeral ceremony has been held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for dozens of senior military officials and others killed in recent Israeli strikes.
Iran's foreign minister has said his country is ready to resume talks on Tehran's nuclear program with the US if President Donald Trump "puts aside his disrespectful and unacceptable tone" toward the Islamic Republic's supreme leader.
UN chief Antonio Guterres has meanwhile called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached "horrific proportions."
You can follow here for the latest news on the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, as well as news, videos and analyses from the wider Middle East region.

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Are interceptor drones Ukraine's best option against Russia? – DW – 06/28/2025
Are interceptor drones Ukraine's best option against Russia? – DW – 06/28/2025

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Are interceptor drones Ukraine's best option against Russia? – DW – 06/28/2025

Moscow is increasingly attacking Ukrainian cities with Shahed drones flying at high altitude. Could interceptor drones provide a better and cheaper solution than traditional air defense? Russian airstrikes on cities and towns across Ukraine are rapidly increasing in intensity. Between June 1 and June 20, Moscow launched 3,681 Shahed drones and fake drones, which serve to disorientate the Ukrainian air defense forces. A year ago, the average was at around 600 per month. To counter these attacks, Ukraine is looking for unconventional solutions, such as the use of interceptor drones. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the ensuing war, Moscow has not only increased the production of drones — it has also modernized them and changed deployment tactics. Current drones can maneuver and fly at high altitudes, which is why they cannot be reached by Ukrainian mobile air defense forces with machine guns. "Lately, the Russian Federation has been sending drones at an altitude of about 2 kilometers," Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force , told DW. "That's why it's becoming more and more difficult for our mobile units to intercept Shahed drones," he added. "When drones fly lower, you can see them and shoot at them," he said. "First you detect them acoustically, then visually and with the help of thermal imaging cameras and sighting devices. Opening fire on them is only effective once a drone is flying at an altitude of up to 1 kilometer." Experts have expressed alarm at Russia's latest tactics. "Russia is going to bomb our entire country with Shahed drones. They have significantly increased production and will continue to do so. If we don't act immediately, our infrastructure, our production and our defense systems will be destroyed," military and communications expert Serhiy Beskrestnov warned on social media. 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To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his country is focusing on the rapid development of interceptor drones to also defend cities in the hinterland. "In particular, we are working on interceptor drones to enhance protection against Shaheds," Zelenskyy said at the G7 summit in Canada on June 17, pointing out that Ukraine is collaborating with partners to secure more substantial funding. Meanwhile, many Ukrainian manufacturers are already working on such drones. In particular, Wild Hornets, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the production of drones for the Ukrainian armed forces, has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to intercept Shahed and Gerbera drones with its Sting interceptor drone. 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That's more effective than simply shooting at Shaheds flying at an altitude of 3 kilometers or wasting a missile," he added. According to experts, interceptor drones are also a reasonable alternative given the cost of anti-aircraft missiles. According to the Unmanned Systems Forces, a branch of the Ukrainian army that specializes in drone warfare, the price of an anti-aircraft missile can be as high as $1 million (€85.4 million), while an interceptor drone costs around $5,000.

Middle East: Killed Iranian generals honored in Tehran – DW – 06/28/2025
Middle East: Killed Iranian generals honored in Tehran – DW – 06/28/2025

DW

time7 hours ago

  • DW

Middle East: Killed Iranian generals honored in Tehran – DW – 06/28/2025

Thousands have gathered in Tehran at an official funeral ceremony for military commanders killed in recent Israeli strikes. Iran has said it is fundamentally willing to resume nuclear talks with the US. DW has of people gathered in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday as an official funeral ceremony took place for the dozens of generals and others, including journalists and a nuclear scientist, killed in Israeli strikes. Among the some 60 people honored were Chief of Staff Mohammed Bagheri, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC's aerospace division. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attended the event, along with other senior government officials and military commanders. Ali Shamkhani, the senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, also took part in the ceremony, using a walking cane after being targeted and wounded in the Israeli attacks, state TV showed. In 12 days of attacks from June 13, Israel killed more than 30 high-ranking military officials, some in their homes. Of the 60 people who were to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four were children and four were women. Israel said its attacks on Iran aimed to stop Tehran becoming a nuclear threat to its security. As a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran continues to hold, a funeral ceremony has been held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for dozens of senior military officials and others killed in recent Israeli strikes. Iran's foreign minister has said his country is ready to resume talks on Tehran's nuclear program with the US if President Donald Trump "puts aside his disrespectful and unacceptable tone" toward the Islamic Republic's supreme leader. UN chief Antonio Guterres has meanwhile called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has reached "horrific proportions." You can follow here for the latest news on the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, as well as news, videos and analyses from the wider Middle East region.

Iran Holds State Funeral For Top Brass Slain In War With Israel
Iran Holds State Funeral For Top Brass Slain In War With Israel

Int'l Business Times

time12 hours ago

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Iran Holds State Funeral For Top Brass Slain In War With Israel

Iran will hold a state funeral service Saturday for around 60 people, including its military commanders, killed in its war with Israel, after Tehran's top diplomat condemned Donald Trump's comments on supreme leader Ali Khamenei as "unacceptable". The United States had carried out strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites last weekend, joining its ally Israel's bombardments of Iran's nuclear programme in the 12-day conflict launched on June 13. Both Israel and Iran claimed victory in the war that ended with a ceasefire, with Iranian leader Khamenei downplaying the US strikes as having done "nothing significant". In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted Tehran Friday for claiming to have won the war. He also claimed to have known "EXACTLY where he (Khamenei) was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces... terminate his life". "I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!'" the US leader said. Trump added he had been working in recent days on the possible removal of sanctions against Iran, one of Tehran's main demands. "But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump said. Hitting back at Trump Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the Republican president's comments on Khamenei. "If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran's Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei," Araghchi posted on social media platform X. "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." The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said. Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures. The state funeral proceedings in Tehran for 60 nuclear scientists and military commanders killed in Israeli strikes are set to begin at 8:00 am (0430 GMT) at Enghelab Square. It will be followed by a funeral procession to Azadi Square, about 11 kilometres (seven miles) across the sprawling metropolis. Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran's Islamic Development Coordination Council, vowed it would be a "historic day for Islamic Iran and the revolution". Among the dead is Mohammad Bagheri, a major general in Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the second-in-command of the armed forces after the Iranian leader. He will be buried alongside his wife and daughter, a journalist for a local media outlet, all killed in an Israeli attack. Nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, also killed in the attacks, will be buried with his wife. Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, who was killed on the first day of the war, will also be laid to rest after Saturday's ceremony -- which will also honour at least 30 other top commanders. Of the 60 people who are to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four are children. During his first term in office, Trump pulled out in 2018 of a landmark nuclear deal -- negotiated by former US president Barack Obama. The deal that Trump had abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic bomb, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear programme. Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes, stepped up its activities after Trump withdrew from the agreement. After the US strikes, Trump said negotiations for a new deal were set to begin next week. But Tehran denied a resumption, with leader Khamenei vowing Thursday never to yield to US pressure and insisting that Washington had been dealt a humiliating "slap". "The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration," Khamenei said, rejecting US claims Iran's nuclear programme had been set back by decades. Israel had claimed it had "thwarted Iran's nuclear project" during the 12-day war. But its foreign minister reiterated Friday the world was obliged to stop Tehran from developing an atomic bomb. "Israel acted at the last possible moment against an imminent threat against it, the region and the international community," Gideon Saar wrote on X. "The international community now has an obligation to prevent, through any effective means, the world's most extreme regime from obtaining the most dangerous weapon." This picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency shows a funeral procession of 15 people killed in Israeli strikes in the city of Mashhad on Friday AFP In a tirade on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted Tehran Friday for claiming to have won the war AFP

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