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.

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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.

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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.

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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 charges.