Latest news with #AmirAliHajizadeh
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hundreds of thousands mourn top Iranian commanders and scientists killed in Israeli strikes
Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel. The caskets of Guard's chief General Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard's ballistic missile programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital's Azadi Street as people in the crowds chanted 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel'. Salami and Hajizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched a war it said was meant to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities. State media reported more than 1 million people turned out for the funeral procession, which was impossible to independently confirm, but the dense crowd packed the main Tehran thoroughfare along the entire 4.5km (nearly three-mile) route. There was no immediate sign of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the state broadcast of the funeral. Khamenei, who has not made a public appearance since before the outbreak of the war, has in past funerals held prayers for fallen commanders over their caskets before the open ceremonies, later aired on state television.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran holds funeral for commanders and scientists killed in war with Israel
(Reuters) -Large crowds of mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran's capital Tehran as the country held a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month's aerial war with Israel. At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Their coffins were driven into Tehran's Azadi Square adorned with their photos and national flags, as crowds waved flags and some reached out to touch the caskets and throw rose petals onto them. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display. Mass prayers were later held in the square. State TV said the funeral, dubbed the "procession of the Martyrs of Power", was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children. In attendance were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as Khamenei's son Mojtaba. "Today, Iranians, through heroic resistance against two regimes armed with nuclear weapons, protected their honour and dignity, and look to the future prouder, more dignified, and more resolute than ever," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who also attended the funeral, said in a Telegram post. There was no immediate statement from Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since the conflict began. In past funerals, he led prayers over the coffins of senior commanders ahead of public ceremonies broadcast on state television. Israel launched the air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as well as civilians in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq. Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites, infrastructure and cities. The United States entered the war on June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. TRUMP THREAT Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said it aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran denies having a nuclear weapons programme. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in Iran. Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Bagheri was being buried at the Behesht Zahra cemetery outside Tehran mid-afternoon on Saturday. Salami and Hajizadeh were due to be buried on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would consider bombing Iran again, while Khamenei, who has appeared in two pre-recorded video messages since the start of the war, has said Iran would respond to any future U.S. attack by striking U.S. military bases in the Middle East. A senior Israeli military official said on Friday that Israel had delivered a "major blow" to Iran's nuclear project. On Saturday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that Israel and the U.S. "failed to achieve their stated objectives" in the war. According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed on the Iranian side in the war before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday. More than 4,700 were injured. Activist news agency HRANA put the number of killed at 974, including 387 civilians. Israel's health ministry said 28 were killed in Israel and 3,238 injured. ( Editing by Aidan Lewis)
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran holds funeral for top commanders, nuclear scientists killed in Israeli operation
Iran held a funeral for top military commanders and nuclear scientists killed during the country's 12-day war with Israel. Among those mourned were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Gen. Hossein Salami and the head of the IRGC's ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, according to the Associated Press. The outlet reported that funeral attendees lining the streets of Tehran shouted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." On June 13, the day Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, the IDF announced the deaths of Salami, Hajizadeh, and the commander of Khatam al-Anbiya (Emergency Command), Gholam-Ali Rashid. The following day, Israel claimed it had killed nine senior nuclear scientists and more than 20 Iranian commanders. Israel Says It Killed Iran's 'Senior-most Military Official' The caskets were draped in Iranian flags and adorned with photos of the deceased. Large trucks carried the on-display coffins through the heart of Tehran as crowds dressed in black and waved flags. The turnout could signal that the regime's internal crackdown is having an impact, as the people of Iran rush to mourn their leaders. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures attended the funeral, but notably absent was Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has yet to make a public appearance since going into hiding. Read On The Fox News App Us Airstrike On Nuclear Facilities Follows Years Of Iranian Plots On American Soil Reports indicate that since the war with Israel ended, Iran has focused on an internal security crackdown. There have been reports of mass arrests and even executions of those accused of espionage on behalf of Israel. "The regime convicts and imposes the death penalty based on trumped-up charges to spread terror among the Iranians. Meanwhile, Israel's Operation Rising Lion has helped the public realize that the Iranian regime is a paper tiger that is weaker than ever," Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Senior Iran and Financial Economics Advisor Saeed Ghasseminejad said in a statement. Iran Intensifies Internal Security Crackdown After Us, Israel Strikes The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said Monday that 705 individuals had been arrested in Iran on "political or security-related charges." This report was echoed by Islamic Republic-run Fars News Agency, which said that 700 were detained for allegedly working with Israel. Nonprofit Iran Human Rights (IHR) warned that at least six others on death row for allegedly spying for Israel are at risk of execution. The organization also said that at least nine individuals have been executed this year on similar article source: Iran holds funeral for top commanders, nuclear scientists killed in Israeli operation
LBCI
14 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Iran holds funeral for top military commanders and scientists killed by Israel
Mourners dressed in black lined streets in Iran's capital Tehran at a funeral on Saturday for top military commanders, nuclear scientists and some of the civilians killed during this month's war with Israel. At least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among those mourned at the funeral, according to state media, including armed forces chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander General Hossein Salami, and Guards Aerospace Force chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. Their coffins were driven into Tehran's Azadi Square adorned with their pictures as well as rose petals and flowers, as crowds waved Iranian flags. State-run Press TV showed an image of ballistic missiles on display. State TV said the funeral, dubbed the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power," was held for a total of 60 people killed in the war, including four women and four children. Attending the funeral were President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures including Ali Shamkhani, who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Bagheri, Salami and Hajizadeh were killed on June 13, the first day of the war. Reuters
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Death to America, Israel': Huge crowds flood streets as Iran mourns commanders killed in strikes
Tehran's streets were flooded with grief and fury on June 28 as thousands gathered for the state funerals of top Iranian Revolutionary Guard generals and nuclear scientists killed in Israeli airstrikes. Among those honoured were IRGC commander Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of Iran's ballistic missile program, both killed on June 13 when Israel launched a full-scale offensive targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Show more Show less
