Issued on: 05/01/2020 – 12:06Modified: 05/01/2020 – 12:06
A tide of mourners flooded the Iranian city of Ahvaz Sunday, weeping and beating their chests in homage to top general Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.
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“Death to America,” they chanted as they packed the streets and filled a long bridge spanning a river in the southwestern city, where Soleimanis remains arrived from Iraq before dawn.
As Shiite chants resonated in the air, mourners held portraits of Soleimani, seen as a hero of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and for spearheading Irans Middle East operations as commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force.
Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike Friday near Baghdad airport, shocking the Islamic republic. He was 62.
The attack was ordered by President Donald Trump, who said the Quds commander had been planning an “imminent” attack on US diplomats and American forces in Iraq.
In the face of growing Iraqi anger over the US strike, the countrys parliament was expected to vote Sunday on whether to oust the roughly 5,200 American troops in Iraq.
Soleimanis assassination ratcheted up tensions between arch-enemies Tehran and Washington and sparked fears of a new Middle East war.
Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed “severe revenge” and declared three days of mourning.
But Trump warned late Saturday that America was targeting 52 sites “important to Iran & Iranian culture” and would hit them “very fast and very hard” if the country attacks American personnel or assets.
In a series of sabre-rattling tweets, Trump said the choice of 52 targets represented the number of Americans held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran for more than a year starting in late 1979.
Irans top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that “targeting cultural sites is a WAR CRIME” and a red line in international law.
For Irans army chief, the threat was an attempt to distract the world from Soleimanis “unjustifiable” assassination.
“I doubt they have the courage to initiate” a conflict in the future, said Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi.
US-Iran tensions escalated in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark accord that gave Tehran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Iran has hit back by reducing its nuclear commitments with a series of steps every 60 days, the most recent deadline passing Saturday.
Glorious crowd
On Sunday, thousands of mourners dressed in black were seen gathered in Ahvaz in a live broadcast on state television.
The channel showed crowds in Mollavi Square with flags in green, white and red—depicting the blood of “martyrs”.
“A glorious crowd is at the ceremony,” said state television.
“The presence of children, teenagers, relatives, veterans, families of martyrs of (the Iran-Iraq war) and defenders of Haram (those martyred in Syria) is a glimpse of the glory of this ceremony,” it added.
In Tehran, deputies chanted “Death to America” for a few minutes during a regular session of parliament, semi-official news agency ISNA reported.
“Trump, this is the voice of the Iranian nation, listen,” speaker Ali Larijani was quoted as saying.
Soleimanis remains and those of five other Iranians—all Guards members—killed in the US drone strike had arrived at Ahvaz aiRead More – Source
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