A funeral ceremony began Wednesday afternoon in Tehran’s Enqelab Square, also known as Revolution Square, for senior Iranian officials killed in the opening strike of the war, including Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, and Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, who headed the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Images from the square showed thousands of apparent government supporters waving flags of the Islamic Republic. Iranian state media also broadcast footage it said showed residents in Tehran’s subway on their way to the ceremony chanting, “Death to America!”
Large crowds in Tehran’s Enqelab Square on Wednesday
Crowds in Tehran chanting 'Death to America' at funeral of officials kileld in the war
The ceremony served as a show of strength by Iran’s clerical establishment, which has insisted it will not surrender despite heavy blows from Israel and the United States. Along with Mousavi and Pakpour, those being buried included senior adviser to the supreme leader Ali Shamkhani, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Mohammad Shirazi, who headed the office of the supreme leader’s command.
The ceremony did not include the burial of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose funeral has been postponed to an unspecified date, according to reports.
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Iranian officials kileld in the war laid to rest in Tehran
(Photo: Atta KENARE / AFP)
Meanwhile, after conflicting reports about the condition of his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, Iranian officials said Wednesday that the new supreme leader was “lightly injured” but remained active. An Iranian official who spoke to Reuters did not say when Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded or why he has yet to address the public.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that Mojtaba Khamenei, who was formally named Iran’s new supreme leader this week, suffered leg injuries on the first day of the war, though the extent of those injuries was unclear.
The report came as Mojtaba Khamenei had not appeared in public or on video since the attacks began, including since his formal elevation three days earlier, and had issued no written public statements.
Reuters separately reported that he has remained out of public view since his appointment, while Iranian officials have said he is continuing to carry out his duties.