Chants of 'death to America' at funeral for Iranian military commanders and scientists

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Tehran to mourn top military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Iran's 12-day war with Israel.

Iran's state-run Press TV said the event - dubbed the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power" - was held for 60 people, including four women and four children.

It said at least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were among the dead, including head of the Revolutionary Guard General Hossein Salami and the head of the guard's ballistic missile programme, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.

Their coffins were driven on trucks to Azadi Square adorned with their pictures as well as rose petals and flowers, as crowds waved Iranian flags.

Mourners dressed in black, while chants of "death to America" and "death to Israel" could be heard.

Attending the funeral were Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior figures, including Ali Shamkhani who was seriously wounded during the conflict and is an adviser to Iran's supreme leader.

There was no immediate sign of the supreme leader in the state broadcast of the funeral.

Israel, the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons, said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.

The US launched strikes on three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran, which Donald Trump said left them "obliterated".

Iran denies having a nuclear weapons programme and the UN nuclear watchdog, which carries out inspections in Iran, has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons project.

Over almost two weeks of fighting, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, before a ceasefire began on Tuesday.

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According to Iranian health ministry figures, 610 people were killed, 13 of whom were children and 49 were women.

Israel's health ministry said 28 people were killed there - and 3,238 injured.

(c) Sky News 2025: Chants of 'death to America' at funeral for Iranian military commanders and scientists