Funeral ceremonies were scheduled for Tuesday for two Iranian air defense personnel killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, according to Iranian state media.
The victims were identified as Bahman Hosseini and Alireza Abiri. State media reported that both men died while “carrying out their mission of defending the country’s skies” during the attacks.
Their deaths mark the first officially reported fatalities from the latest Israeli strikes on Iran, which targeted sites near Tehran amid escalating tensions between the two countries. Iranian authorities had not previously announced any casualties from the attacks. 
The announcement came as Israel and Iran continued to exchange threats despite efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire following days of missile and airstrike exchanges.
Reacting to the deaths, Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian called for retaliation, declaring that “avenging the blood of these two must not be forgotten.”
The funeral ceremonies are expected to be held with military honors as Iran mourns the two servicemen amid the ongoing regional crisis.
Israel carried out airstrikes on military targets in central and western Iran on June 8, 2026, marking its first direct attack on Iranian territory since the ceasefire reached in April. According to Israeli officials, the operation was launched in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack against Israel. The strikes reportedly targeted missile-launch infrastructure and other military facilities in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Karaj, and Kermanshah.
Iranian state media later confirmed that two members of the country’s air defense force, Bahman Hosseini and Alireza Abiri, were killed during the attacks while defending Iranian airspace. These were the first officially acknowledged fatalities from the latest Israeli strikes.
The exchange of attacks raised fears of a renewed regional conflict, but both countries subsequently indicated a willingness to halt further strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would pause attacks “for now,” while Iranian officials also signaled a temporary end to retaliatory operations, though both sides warned they could respond if provoked again.
Iran and Israel exchanged threats but later moved toward a fragile pause in hostilities.
International concerns remain high over the possibility of further escalation in the Middle East.
