Large crowds of mourners from all walks of life, dressed in black, gathered in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Saturday for the state funeral of the military commanders and nuclear scientists killed during the 12-day conflict with Israel, expressing their determination to defend their homeland. They waved Iranian flags, chanted slogans, and carried pictures of the "martyred" commanders and nuclear scientists. According to Iranian state media, at least 16 scientists and 10 senior commanders were killed in the conflict, including IRGC Chief Commander Hossein Salami, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, and IRGC Aerospace Division Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The casualties also included Gholam Ali Rashid, former chief commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, and his successor, Ali Shadmani. The somber yet resolute mood was palpable among the throngs of mourners, who voiced their unwavering confidence in the motherland. "They assassinate our scientists -- this is a sign of their weakness. It shows their desperation. They have no other choice. They cannot confront the great nation of Iran," said Mehdi, one of the mourners. "We want to show America and Israel that the people of Iran always stand united, despite all the economic problems we currently face -- that's a separate issue. This is about our land. It's about our honor. It's about our homeland. We are here out of love for our leaders, out of love for His Eminence, out of love for our armed forces. We are here to tell them they are not alone. We stand behind them," said Hesam, another mourner. The mourners' expressions of defiance and unity were mirrored by their unwavering resolve to defend their nation. "We are not warmongers, but if they attack, we will respond decisively, as we have before, and even more forcefully. We want our leaders to stand firm, and they must continue to do so until the enemy is completely crushed," said Jamileh, one of the female mourners. "History has shown that Iran has always stood on the side of justice in all arenas. Iran demands justice for the innocent blood of Lebanese children, the innocent blood of Palestinian children. Here we see that the innocent blood of Iranian children has also been spilled. The world must know that everyone present in this crowd stands on the side of truth and justice," said Kourosh, his voice reflecting the mood of the mourners. Marjan, another woman among the mourners, made her stance clear. "The message we want to send to Israel is that the people will never abandon their leader. All the conspiracies you have plotted against us have backfired on you and America," she said. "Look at what we are doing here, and what we've planned and executed. Any country that dares to invade Iran will face the same fate. Look at these people -- they're still standing strong in this heat, under this scorching sun," said Hassan, standing among the crowd. "We, Islamic Iran, have come to show the whole world that we stand by our nation. No matter what happens, we stand by our country. We won't let any foreigner take even an inch of our homeland's soil," said Ali, his voice firm with defiance. On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel. Following the 12-day war, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was achieved on Tuesday. The video shows: Tehran, Iran - June 28, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV) 1. Aerial shot of funeral in progress 2. Mourners waving flags 3. Various of funeral trucks transporting coffins passing through crowd of mourners 4. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mehdi, mourner (full name not given): "They assassinate our scientists -- this is a sign of their weakness. It shows their desperation. They have no other choice. They cannot confront the great nation of Iran." 5. Various of mourners at funeral, people crying, praying 6. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hesam, mourner (full name not given): "We want to show America and Israel that the people of Iran always stand united, despite all the economic problems we currently face -- that's a separate issue. This is about our land. It's about our honor. It's about our homeland. We are here out of love for our leaders, out of love for His Eminence, out of love for our armed forces. We are here to tell them they are not alone. We stand behind them." 7. Various of mourners on street 8. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Jamileh, mourner (full name not given): "We are not warmongers, but if they attack, we will respond decisively, as we have before, and even more forcefully. We want our leaders to stand firm, and they must continue to do so until the enemy is completely crushed." 9. Various of mourners at funeral 10. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Kourosh, mourner (full name not given): "History has shown that Iran has always stood on the side of justice in all arenas. Iran demands justice for the innocent blood of Lebanese children, the innocent blood of Palestinian children. Here we see that the innocent blood of Iranian children has also been spilled. The world must know that everyone present in this crowd stands on the side of truth and justice." 11. Various of mourners at funeral 12. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Marjan, mourner (full name not given): "The message we want to send to Israel is that the people will never abandon their leader. All the conspiracies you have plotted against us have backfired on you and America." 13. Various of mourners at funeral 14. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hassan, mourner (full name not given): "Look at what we are doing here, and what we've planned and executed. Any country that dares to invade Iran will face the same fate. Look at these people -- they're still standing strong in this heat, under this scorching sun." 15. Various of funeral vehicles moving 16. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Ali, mourner (full name not given): "We, Islamic Iran, have come to show the whole world that we stand by our nation. No matter what happens, we stand by our country. We won't let any foreigner take even an inch of our homeland's soil." 17. Various of mourners gathering, funeral in progress [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV]