SAEDNEWS: At the burial of slain Brigadier‑General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani offered a fatherly embrace to the martyr’s young son and consoled the bereaved family, underscoring Iran’s bid to project national cohesion after weeks of conflict.
According to Saed News, a solemn funeral in Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery on 29 June saw Major‑General Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, kneel at the freshly covered grave of Brigadier‑General Amir Ali Hajizadeh. In a poignant scene captured on video, Qaani pressed gentle kisses onto the head of the fallen commander’s child and voiced firm condolences to relatives gathered around the tombstone.
The exchange came during the mass interment of the so‑called “Martyrs of Iran’s Power”, casualties of the recent 12‑day confrontation with Israel and the United States. Qaani, who succeeded the late Qassem Soleimani in 2020, used the moment to reassure Hajizadeh’s family that their loss would “strengthen the nation’s resolve” and that “the blood of heroes is never spilt in vain”. Observers noted the symbolism: a senior battlefield strategist offering paternal warmth rather than martial rhetoric, signaling that Iran wishes to temper public grief with a message of continuity and unity.
Hajizadeh, long regarded as an architect of Iran’s missile programme, was killed in a strike that Tehran blames on Israel. His death, while celebrated by Israeli hardliners, has sharpened domestic debate over deterrence and diplomacy. By publicly embracing the general’s child, Qaani sought to portray Iran’s military hierarchy as both steadfast and compassionate—an image designed to fortify morale at home and warn adversaries abroad that public support for the IRGC remains unshaken.
