Putin, Tokayev Discuss Measures to Quell Unrest in Kazakhstan

A serviceman patrols a street in central Almaty on January 8, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr BOGDANOV / AFP)
A serviceman patrols a street in central Almaty on January 8, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr BOGDANOV / AFP)
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Putin, Tokayev Discuss Measures to Quell Unrest in Kazakhstan

A serviceman patrols a street in central Almaty on January 8, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr BOGDANOV / AFP)
A serviceman patrols a street in central Almaty on January 8, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr BOGDANOV / AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a lengthy phone call with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in which the leaders exchanged their views on the measures being taken to quell unrest in Kazakhstan, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Tokayev told Putin that the situation in Kazakhstan was stabilizing and thanked him for the deployment of a Russian-led military bloc to Kazakhstan to curb the worst violence the Central Asian country has witnessed since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Kremlin added that Putin supported Tokayev's idea of holding a video conference in the coming days with allies from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which groups six former Soviet republics, to discuss measures to restore order in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan's former intelligence chief has been arrested on suspicion of treason, the state security agency said on Saturday.

The detention of Karim Massimov was announced by the National Security Committee which he headed until he was fired this week by Tokayev.

After several days of violence, security forces appeared to have reclaimed control of the streets of Kazakhstan's main city Almaty on Friday.

Some businesses and petrol stations began to reopen on Saturday in the city of around 2 million people as security forces patrolled the streets. Occasional gunshots could still be heard around the city's main square.



Thousands Mourn Top Iranian Military Commanders, Scientists Killed in Israeli Strikes

Mourners stand next to the coffin of Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami (R), and other military commanders killed during Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, during their funeral procession at Enqelab Square in the capital Tehran on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Atta KENARE / AFP)
Mourners stand next to the coffin of Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami (R), and other military commanders killed during Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, during their funeral procession at Enqelab Square in the capital Tehran on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Atta KENARE / AFP)
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Thousands Mourn Top Iranian Military Commanders, Scientists Killed in Israeli Strikes

Mourners stand next to the coffin of Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami (R), and other military commanders killed during Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, during their funeral procession at Enqelab Square in the capital Tehran on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Atta KENARE / AFP)
Mourners stand next to the coffin of Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami (R), and other military commanders killed during Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, during their funeral procession at Enqelab Square in the capital Tehran on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Atta KENARE / AFP)

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of the head of the Revolutionary Guard and other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed during a 12-day war with Israel.

The caskets of Guard's chief Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard’s ballistic missile program, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh and others were driven on trucks along the capital's Azadi Street.

Salami and Hajizadeh were both killed on the first day of the war, June 13, as Israel launched a war it said meant to destroy Iran's nuclear program, specifically targeting military commanders, scientists and nuclear facilities.

Over 12 days before a ceasefire was declared on Tuesday, Israel claimed it killed around 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, while hitting eight nuclear-related facilities and more than 720 military infrastructure sites. More than 1,000 people were killed, including at least 417 civilians, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Activists group.

Iran fired more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted, but those that got through caused damage in many areas and killed 28 people.

Saturday's ceremonies were the first public funerals for top commanders since the ceasefire, and Iranian state television reported that they were for 60 people in total, including four women and four children.

Authorities closed government offices to allow public servants to attend the ceremonies.