Thousands of Iranians participated in mass funeral processions for four Army officers martyred during Saturday's Israeli aggression against the country.

Mourners gathered in the provinces of Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Lorestan on Monday to pay their respects to the four fallen members of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force: Hamzeh Jahandideh, Mohammad Mahdi Shahrokhi, Sajjad Mansouri, and Mehdi Naghavi.

They carried the martyrs' coffins, draped in the national Iranian flag, through the cities of Kermanshah, Ramhormoz, Shushtar, and Borujerd.

The attendees condemned the Israeli attack on Iran, labeling it a terrorist act, and called for a strong response to the atrocities committed by the “criminal regime.”

Iran seeking self-defense, not war: Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran is not seeking war, but rather to protect its rights in response to the criminal Israeli entity's recent attack on the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On Saturday, the Iranian Army confirmed that four soldiers were martyred while intercepting the projectiles launched by the Israeli occupation military toward Iranian territory.

The Iranian Air Defense also reported that in the early hours of October 26, "Israel" targeted military sites in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam, with air defenses intercepting the attacks.

President Pezeshkian, speaking at a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, referred to "Israel's" aggression against the country's airspace and emphasized that the noble people of the country and the Islamic Establishment have demonstrated over the last 45 years that they will never back down from their position in the face of any aggressor.

He asserted that the whole globe has witnessed the crimes of "Israel" and that the supporters of the occupation, led by the US, speak of human rights and freedom while remaining mute as tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians are slaughtered.

"Have these children been terrorists? Is blocking food and medicine for the oppressed people of Gaza part of the principles of war and the civilized world?" he questioned. 

He emphasized that the "awakened consciences" now hate the Zionist regime and its crimes and warned that if this aggressiveness persists, tensions will rise further.

He also emphasized that it is well-known that the US is "provoking Israel to commit these heinous crimes."

"They (Americans) had promised to end the war in exchange for Iran’s restraint, but they did not keep their promise, unfortunately.”

In other remarks, President Pezeshkian expressed his condolences to the families, the Army Force, and all of the country's military personnel for the martyrdom of four members of the Islamic Republic of Iran's air defense forces and urged the responsible officials to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. 

Khamenei: Officials to decide Iran's show of power against 'Israel' 

During a meeting with the families of “Martyrs of Security” at Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei stated that Iranian authorities are responsible for determining how to demonstrate Iran's power to the Israeli entity.

He emphasized the need to counter "Israel’s" miscalculations, noting that “they (the Israelis) need to understand the power, determination, and innovation of the Iranian nation and its youth.”

Sayyed Khamenei stated that it is up to Iranian officials to decide how to effectively communicate the power and determination of the Iranian nation to "Israel", emphasizing that actions should align with the nation's and the country's best interests.

He also acknowledged the importance of accurately representing "Israel's" harmful actions, advising against both exaggeration and underestimation.

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