Thousands gather as Iranian supreme leader oversees funeral prayers for IRGC senior commander in Tehran
Thousands gathered in the Iranian capital for the funeral of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander brig Gen Razi Mousavi, three days after he was killed in what Tehran says was an Israeli strike.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led funeral prayers in Tehran on Thursday, before the body was taken to the central Imam Hossein Square.
Earlier, he met members of Brig Gen Mousavi’s family.
The crowd in the square chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America”. Many of the mourners were waving yellow flags referring to Israel with the message: “I am your opponent”.
The death of the IRGC general in Damascus heightened concerns that the war in Gaza could become a regional conflict involving Iran, its overseas proxies and its adversaries.
Iranian state media reported on Monday that an Israeli missile strike killed Brig Gen Mousavi near Damascus.
An Israeli military official did not offer specific comment about Brig Gen Mousavi’s death on Monday, but said that Israel took whatever action was necessary to defend itself.
The Israeli army, which has launched hundreds of strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria in recent years, said it does not comment on foreign media reports.
The head of the IRGC, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, praised Brig Gen Mousavi as “one of the most experienced and effective IRGC commanders in the Axis of Resistance” – a commonly used term for Iran’s proxies.
IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif said on Wednesday that “our response to Mousavi’s assassination will be a combination of direct action as well as [from] others led by the Axis of Resistance”.
“Our revenge for the martyrdom of Sayyed Razi will be nothing less than the removal of the Zionist regime,” Maj Gen Salami said in a televised speech at the funeral.
“I am hopeful that soon, God permitting, the great and honourable Palestinian fighters will wipe out the geographical and political name of this evil and fake regime.”
Since war broke out between Israel and Hamas on October 7, Iran-backed groups have mounted operations and strikes against Israel.
Iranian state media reported that an Israeli missile strike killed Brig Gen Mousavi near Damascus