ISTANBUL

A funeral ceremony was held Wednesday in the Iranian capital Tehran for top security official Ali Larijani and Basij forces chief Gholamreza Soleimani, who were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, Iranian state media reported.

According to Press TV, the ceremony took place as officials and mourners gathered to honor the two figures.

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 Soleimani's death in a US-Israeli strike on the same day.

Larijani and Soleimani were among the highest-ranking officials killed since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran last month.

The US and Israel have continued a joint offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.