Iran Holds State Funeral for Top Brass Slain in War With Israel

Iran's top diplomat slams Trump's remarks on having saved country's supreme leader

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Iran began a state funeral service on June 28 for around 60 people, including its military commanders, killed in its war with Israel, after Tehran's top diplomat condemned US President Donald Trump's comments on Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as "unacceptable".

The proceedings in Tehran for the nuclear scientists and military commanders killed in Israeli strikes began at 8am (12.30pm, Singapore time).

"The ceremony to honour the martyrs has officially started," state TV said, showing footage of people in black clothes waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of the slain military commanders.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other senior government officials and military commanders - including Mr Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards - attended the event.

Mr Khamenei's senior adviser Ali Shamkhani, who was targeted and wounded during the war, also took part in the ceremony, using a walking cane, state TV showed.

Images also showed mock-ups of Iranian ballistic missiles as well as coffins draped in Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the dead commanders in uniform near Enghelab (Revolution) Square in central Tehran, where the march began.

A patriotic eulogy blared from loudspeakers as the procession set out across the sprawling metropolis towards Azadi (Freedom) Square, 11km away.

"Boom boom Tel Aviv," read one banner, referring to Iranian missiles fired at Israel during the conflict in retaliation for its attacks on Iran.