Attack on Nuclear Negotiations at the Funeral of Divers from Operation Karbala 4

The funeral ceremony for 175 Iranian divers killed in the war with Iraq was held on Tuesday in Tehran, where Mohsen Rezaei, the speaker of the ceremony, and some attendees criticized Iran's negotiations with the 5+1 group and also President Hassan Rouhani's statements regarding Western sanctions against Iran. About a month ago, the discovery of the bodies of 175 Iranian divers, reportedly killed during Operation Karbala 4 with 'bound hands', sparked significant reactions in Iranian media and social media. On Tuesday, June 16, the bodies of these divers were buried alongside 95 other Iranian forces killed in the war with Iraq in Tehran. In his speech, Mohsen Rezaei, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, deemed the coincidence of the divers' funeral with the ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the 5+1 group as 'meaningful'. According to Tasnim News Agency, he referred to the slogan 'Death to America' from some participants at the ceremony, stating, 'Our negotiators sitting across the table must hear and understand these voices well; these voices are serious and real.' Mohsen Rezaei emphasized, 'These bound divers are telling you that if our hands are tied and you execute us, we will not surrender to force and greed.' Furthermore, according to Fars News Agency, Rezaei stated, 'Iran should not present false signs and unrealistic statements to the world. We should not say we have no drinking water and that the country is besieged. The foreign policy of the Qajar and Pahlavi eras will not return to Iran.' Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, had recently stated that 'oppressive sanctions must be lifted for investment to come, and issues regarding the environment, youth employment, industry, society, and drinking water for the people to be resolved.' On June 14, Rouhani emphasized that due to sanctions, every foreign product in Iran is 'at least 10 to 15 percent' more expensive, saying, 'Those who say sanctions are not important seem to be unaware of the people's pockets.' Meanwhile, Saeed Hadadian, a eulogist at the divers' funeral, remarked, 'Today we also say to those who say you do not know about the people's pockets that the people's pockets are full of Ahmadinejad's pictures, full of martyrs' wills, and full of Ya Zahra and Ya Hussein headbands. These people stand firm; do not back down.' According to Iranian news agencies, some participants at the ceremony also carried placards protesting the policies of Hassan Rouhani's government regarding the nuclear negotiations with the 5+1 group and his statements about Western sanctions against Iran. Fars News Agency mentioned slogans such as 'Our drinking water depends on Ya Hussein, not sanctions' and 'You resisted with bound hands; what have we done with open hands?' In addition, according to the Aloha News Agency, one of the placards depicted an Iranian nuclear scientist in a white coat with his hands tied behind him, with the caption: 'Yesterday, American AWACS revealed Karbala 4; what is the American agency's plan today?' The report also stated that yellow flags with a 'nuclear emblem' were distributed among participants, inscribed with the phrase 'We stand until the end.' The news agency also reported that on 'some buses and vehicles,' phrases like 'The gathering of the Party of God to express disgust at the presence of women in stadiums' were written. The attack by some conservatives on Hassan Rouhani's government under the pretext of the divers' funeral also sparked reactions in social media. For instance, Hassan Younesi, the first deputy of the central council of the Iranian Voice Party, wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday: 'Many things and values should not have been colored over the years, but when people's pockets are empty, they spend everything they have in their bags. Please, let some things remain colorless for these people. Please do not color the martyrs.' Reports indicated that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former President of Iran, was also present at the divers' funeral alongside Mohsen Rezaei, the speaker of the program. Meanwhile, Aloha News Agency reported that early in Mohsen Rezaei's speech, a woman holding a Palestinian flag near the podium repeatedly shouted 'Death to the hypocrites,' prompting some individuals nearby to call for her to be silent.