Funeral held in Tehran for Larijani, Soleimani killed in strikes

2026-03-18 - 13:30

TEHRAN — A funeral ceremony was held Wednesday in Tehran for senior Iranian officials Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, who were killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, according to state media.Press TV reported that officials and mourners gathered in the capital to honor the two figures, among the highest-ranking casualties since the outbreak of the conflict.Iranian authorities said Larijani was killed early Tuesday in a strike that also claimed the lives of his son Morteza, his aide Alireza Bayat, several council staff members, and bodyguards.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that Soleimani, commander of the Basij forces, was killed in a separate strike on the same day.The deaths mark a significant escalation in the conflict, which has intensified since the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.The campaign has reportedly killed around 1,300 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, causing casualties, infrastructure damage, and widespread disruption to global markets and aviation.