Iran is set to honour its fallen leaders and scientists with a state funeral on Saturday, as the country mourns key figures lost during the 12‑day conflict with Israel. The ceremony, scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Tehran time, will pay tribute to senior military commanders and nuclear scientists killed in the early bombardment on June 13 that sparked the exchange of airstrikes and missiles .
Among those to be honoured is Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was killed in the first wave of Israeli strikes. He will also be laid to rest Thursday in his native region, underscoring the depth of loss among Iran’s leadership. The broader ceremony in Tehran represents a moment of national grief and is likely to draw massive participation—from political figures and clerics to families and citizens united in sorrow.
It is not only military leaders paying the ultimate price; several respected nuclear scientists have also been killed—circling back to Israel’s targeting of Iran’s nuclear, military, and civilian infrastructure. Their deaths underline a strategic dimension to the attacks: halting technological progress as well as weakening command structures.
Iran’s narrative paints this funeral as a symbol of resilience and retaliation. State media have already highlighted plans for “Operation True Promise III,” a retaliatory missile campaign against Israel. That imagery, combined with the funeral processions through Tehran’s streets, appears designed both to rally public sentiment and to signal Iran’s intent to persist.
This moment is deeply emotional for many Iranians. On one hand, there is national pride in the soldiers and scientists who made the ultimate sacrifice; on the other hand, there is grief for the escalating spiral of violence and its toll on civilian life. Tehran’s health ministry has reported over 610 civilian deaths and nearly 4,700 injuries from the initial strikes—illustrating how far the conflict has reached beyond military targets.
As flags are lowered and the state honours its martyrs, the question remains: what happens next? Iran’s leadership has promised vengeance, but international eyes are watching closely. Will this funeral deepen Iran’s resolve to escalate, or will it mark the start of a sobering shift toward restraint?
For now, Saturday’s ceremony will be a solemn reminder of the conflict’s human cost—and a platform for Iran’s leadership to display unity. In the coming days, the world will see if grief transforms into action, or whether memorials become catalysts for further confrontation.
