Iran held a large state funeral on Saturday for 60 people, including military leaders and nuclear scientists, who died during its recent war with Israel. The funeral comes at a time of rising tensions with the United States over nuclear concerns and statements from President Donald Trump.
The 12-day war began on June 13 and ended with a ceasefire. Both Iran and Israel claimed they had won. However, the situation remains tense after U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend. These strikes were part of a joint response with Israel aimed at Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, dismissed the U.S. strikes as insignificant, saying they had no major effect. Still, the toll on both sides was severe. Iran’s health ministry said 627 civilians died due to Israeli airstrikes. In contrast, Israeli sources reported 28 deaths from Iranian attacks.
Donald Trump reacted to the war and Iran’s claims of victory with anger. On his Truth Social account, he criticized Khamenei and revealed that he knew the Iranian leader’s hiding place during the war.
“I saved him from a very ugly death,” Trump wrote, adding that he had been working on lifting sanctions against Iran. He claimed he stopped those efforts after Iran issued angry statements instead of showing gratitude.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, responded strongly to Trump’s words. He said Trump’s disrespectful tone toward Khamenei was not acceptable and would harm any hope for future talks.
“The people of Iran will not tolerate threats and insults,” Araghchi wrote on X.
The funeral ceremony began at 8:00 a.m. in Tehran’s Enghelab Square. A large crowd gathered to honor the 60 people who died, many of whom were high-ranking military officers or nuclear experts. The procession moved to Azadi Square, covering a distance of nearly 11 kilometers.
Officials described the day as historic. One of the most notable figures laid to rest was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the second-highest commander in Iran’s military. He died alongside his wife and daughter, who was a journalist. All three were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Also honored was Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a leading nuclear scientist. He was buried with his wife. Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, who was killed on the war’s first day, was also buried during the ceremony.
Of the 60 people honored, four were children, showing the wide impact of the conflict.
The funeral comes during an ongoing debate about Iran’s nuclear goals. During his presidency, Trump had withdrawn from a major nuclear deal signed under Barack Obama in 2015. That agreement had aimed to limit Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons, while allowing peaceful nuclear energy use.
After the U.S. pulled out in 2018, Iran gradually increased its nuclear activities. Western powers fear that Iran may now be closer to building a bomb.
Following last week’s airstrikes, Trump said he was planning to begin new talks with Iran. But Iran denied any such plan. Khamenei vowed that Iran would never give in to U.S. pressure.
“The American president exaggerated events,” Khamenei said. He argued that the nuclear program had not suffered major setbacks.
Israel’s government claimed the war had disrupted Iran’s nuclear project. Its foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said action had been taken against a real threat. He called on the global community to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“Israel acted at the last possible moment,” Saar wrote, urging world leaders to stop Iran’s nuclear plans using all available means.
With the war now paused, tensions remain high. Iran’s state funeral shows how deeply the conflict has affected the country. At the same time, strong words from both the U.S. and Iran suggest that peace is far from guaranteed.
As the world watches closely, the future of Iran’s nuclear program and its role in the region continue to be major global concerns.
