fazTimes media: Iran held a state funeral for 60 people killed in the 12-day conflict with Israel. The dead included civilians, scientists, and top military officials. Tens of thousands attended, mourning in the heart of Tehran. The funeral procession began at Enghelab Square, with flowers and flags on the graves. The crowd chanted 'Death to Israel' and 'Martyrs never die' as the cortege moved to Azadi Square, a historic site for Iran's key events.

A Country in Sadness

Many people wore black to the state service, and many of them had signs against the attacks by Israel or pictures of the people who died. The service was shown live on TV across the country. Everywhere there was a moment of silence, and black flags were hung along the streets.

Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, spoke to the country for the first time since the war. He called the dead "guardians of the Islamic Republic" and said that their "sacrifice will not be forgotten." Khamenei talked about General Mohammad Bagheri as he stood next to his coffin. He called him "a pillar of the Iranian resistance" and "a true servant of God."

The Chief of General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, General Bagheri, was killed. He was a key figure. Israeli airstrikes killed him, his wife, and their young daughter in the first round of attacks.

Loss of Scientific Smarts

Many mourners honored Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi at the funeral. He was a famous nuclear scientist and the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. A lot of people thought he was one of the main people who planned Iran's nuke study program for civilian use. Iran's government says Tehranchi died when a targeted missile hit the building where teachers lived at Sharif University of Technology.

Former Atomic Energy chief Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi praised Dr. Tehranchi, saying, "He was a symbol of scientific excellence. His loss hurts the entire region's scientific community."

Three other women were killed alongside Tehranchi. Loved ones placed white roses on their shared coffin, symbolizing their affection.

Pay attention to civilian deaths.

The Iranian government has made it clear that the strikes have hurt people. Six hundred and twenty-seven people died, and nearly four thousand were hurt, and many of them were not fighting. On Saturday, bombs went off in the homes of four children in Isfahan and Shiraz, killing three boys and one girl. The youngest was 7 years old. At the funeral, they were thought of.

Tehran government officials said that letting people into the state funeral was just a show of how unfair the war was. Masoumeh Ebtekar, the vice president, said, "This ceremony is not just for our commanders and scientists; it's for every Iranian soul who was killed unfairly by this aggression."

Safety Alert at High Level

It was very safe in Tehran because many important people were there, such as President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the most important priests from Qom. As the funeral went through the area, there were roadblocks and checks. Drones flew over to keep an eye on things. Some places temporarily cut off cellphone networks to keep people safe.

There were no known problems at the funeral, but the cops had warned of "external threats." Still, a lot of embassies, like the ones in Germany and the UK, told their people to stay away from downtown Tehran for the day.

A situation that can get worse and kill

With the funeral over, a very hard time in the Middle East is over. Iran's military and nuclear sites were attacked from the air on June 13, the first day of the war. It is not true, as Tel Aviv says, that the move was meant to "neutralize Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions." It is said by Israeli sources that more than 30 top IRGC commanders were killed in the operation, which was meant to cut off Iran's command system. Among them were Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Chief of Aerospace Forces Amirali Hajizadeh.

When Iran hit back by attacking American sites in Qatar, people all over the world asked for things to calm down. People on both sides have openly called for a "strategic victory," but earlier this week, the UN helped to stop the fighting, which is now the case.

A Sign of National Will

Even though many people died, the funeral on Saturday was a show of strength and fight. People at the event talked about how strong the country is when it comes to being attacked. All over the city, signs said things like "We Will Rebuild Stronger" and "Martyrs are our Pride."

It was Leader Raisi who said that Iran "reserves the right to respond" and that "the blood of our heroes will not be shed in vain." Besides that, he asked the rest of the world to punish Israel for what he called "state terrorism." Iran shut down schools and government offices, and parliament declared three days of national mourning.

Reactions around the world were mixed.

The West remained quiet, while allies like Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq sent condolences and attended the funeral. In a statement, the UN said that everyone must follow international law and that the deaths of civilians must be properly looked into.

There is a lot of worry among human rights groups like Amnesty International about the attacks on innocent targets. They want those responsible to be held responsible.

That being said,

In Iran, the state funeral on Saturday was a strong time to stand up and think. The country made it clear that it would not forget or accept the loss it had lived through when the bodies were buried. People cried out in sadness and promised justice.

The 12-day war may be over, but its impact on strategy and emotions will likely linger for months or years.

Our fazTimes media will continue to monitor the situation closely.

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