**Tehran witnesses a powerful display of grief as thousands gather to honor the fallen in a monumental procession.**
**Iran Bids Farewell to War Heroes Amidst National Mourning**
**Iran Bids Farewell to War Heroes Amidst National Mourning**
**State funeral held for military and scientific casualties of the recent conflict with Israel.**
In Tehran, thousands of mourners filled the streets on Saturday to pay their final respects at a state funeral for approximately 60 individuals who lost their lives during the recent war with Israel. Among those honored were high-ranking military commanders and influential nuclear scientists.
State television broadcasts displayed a marked contrast, showing the once-quiet streets now transformed into a sea of green, red, and white Iranian flags, interspersed with religious banners and floral tributes. Chants echoing “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” resonated through the air as the procession moved forward, transporting caskets between two central squares. Reports indicated that the caskets would subsequently be laid to rest in various cemeteries, with some being interred alongside family members.
While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, was absent from the ceremony, the nation’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, participated alongside a grieving populace. The funeral underscored the significant toll the conflict had taken on Iran, which saw over 600 casualties, including 90 military personnel and at least 11 notable nuclear scientists, as confirmed by state media.
Coffins draped in Iranian flags adorned with rose petals paraded through the city, evoking touching scenes where mourners reached out to kiss or touch the caskets. One truck carried the caskets of children, further amplifying the sorrow prevalent in the heart of the nation.
