Taghribnews (TNA) - Iranians attend funeral ceremony of Shiraz terror attack victims

Tens of thousands of Iranians attended the massive funeral ceremony held for victims of Wednesday terror attack on Shah Cheragh shrine in Shiraz.

The massive ceremony started on Saturday morning with a number of high-ranking state and military officials in attendance.

The participants held up pictures of the victims and chanted slogans against the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Britain for their support of the Daesh terrorist group.

They also demanded that those behind the vicious act of terror must be held accountable as soon as possible.

Following the funeral procession, the coffins are going to be flown to the northeastern city of Mashhad, which houses the mausoleum of the eighth Shia Imam, Ali ibn Musa al-Reza, where mourners will bid farewell to the victims.

After Friday prayers, Iranians from all walks of life took to the streets across the country, including the capital Tehran, to condemn the terrorist attack on Shah Cheragh holy site.

They waved signs and chanted slogans asking for the prosecution of the perpetrators.

A heavily-armed terrorist assaulted the well-known shrine at approximately 5:45 p.m. local time (1415 GMT) on Wednesday, just before the evening prayers, killing 13 pilgrims — including a lady and two children — and injuring at least 40 others.

The attacker opened fire indiscriminately on visitors within the shrine, according to the police commander of Fars province. The perpetrator was wounded and taken into custody by security personnel. He later succumbed to his wounds.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has offered condolences to the Iranian nation, assuring that the perpetrators of the “outrageous” crime will definitely face punishment.

Chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Saturday the United States and Israel have hatched a sinister plot to incite the recent riots across the country.

Addressing the funeral procession in Shiraz, Major General Hossein Salami said the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia are desperate about their back-to-back defeats in West Asia, including in Yemen.

The senior commander stated that those behind Iran’s riots cannot tolerate the Islamic Republic’s political and spiritual influence across the region, and have therefore resorted to provoking unrest inside Iran, but to no avail.

He said Washington has a long history of making attempts to weaken Iran, stressing that the Islamic Republic has successfully overcome hurdles caused by inhumane US sanctions.