Tehran, Iran - March 18, 2026 (IRIB - No access Chinese mainland/Israeli media/Persian language media outside Iran. Strictly No Access Iran International/BBC Persian/Radio Farda/Manoto TV)
1. Various of Iranians attending funeral procession held for top security official Ali Larijani, head of the Basij volunteer force Gholamreza Soleimani, navy sailors

Hundreds of thousands of mourners on Wednesday gathered in the Iranian capital city of Tehran to participate in the funeral procession honoring the martyrdom of Iranian sailors, as well as one of the country's top security official Ali Larijani and senior commander Gholamreza Soleimani, who were killed in separate Israeli attacks.

Many residents arrived ahead of the ceremony to pay their respect to the 84 navy personnel aboard Iran's Dena frigate sunken by the U.S. military on March 4, as well as Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), and Soleimani, chief commander of the voluntary Basij force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), who were assassinated in Israeli strikes on Tehran on Tuesday.

The funeral procession witnessed one of the largest public gatherings in Tehran in recent weeks, with crowds filling the streets from early Wednesday morning.

The event was also attended by the families of the dead officials and navy sailors, government officials, and military leaders.

On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing the country's supreme leader, high-ranking military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets and bases in the Middle East.