Qasem Soleimani: Huge Crowds at Funeral for Iranian Commander
Huge crowds have packed the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran for the funeral of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
Qasem Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike in Iraq on Friday on the orders of President Donald Trump.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei led prayers and at one point was seen weeping.
Iran has vowed “severe revenge” for the death of Qasem Soleimani and on Sunday pulled back from the 2015 nuclear accord.
Qasem Soleimani, 62, headed Iran’s elite Quds Force, and was tasked with protecting and boosting Iran’s influence in the Middle East.
He supported Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil conflict, aided the Shia militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and guided Iraqi militia groups against the Islamic State group.
Qasem Soleimani was hailed as a national hero in Iran and widely considered the second most powerful man in the country behind Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Read Also: Catholic Pope Francis 2020 New Year Message
The US saw him as a terrorist, and President Trump said Soleimani was plotting “imminent” attacks on US diplomats and military personnel.
What happened at Soleimani’s funeral?
State television showed huge crowds in Tehran for the event. It put the number who turned out as “millions” although this is yet to be verified.
Some people cried, while others clutched pictures of the late commander. Mourners passed Soleimani’s coffin over their heads and “death to America” chants were heard.
His daughter Zeinab Soleimani warned the US that it faced a “dark day”.
“Crazy Trump, don’t think that everything is over with my father’s martyrdom,” she said.
Following Monday’s funeral, the general’s remains were to be taken to Qom, one of the centres of Shia Islam, for a ceremony ahead of a burial in his hometown of Kerman on Tuesday.
How has Iran responded to the killing?
On Sunday Iran declared it would no longer abide by any of the restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.
The deal limited Iranian nuclear capacities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Three European parties to the deal – Germany, France and the UK – urged Iran to abide by its terms.
Also on Sunday, Iraqi MPs passed a non-binding resolution calling for foreign troops to leave. US forces were invited to return to Iraq to help defeat the Islamic State group.
The new head of Iran’s Quads force has vowed to expel the US from the Middle East.
How has Trump reacted?
Following warnings from Iran, Mr Trump said that the US would respond in the event of retaliation for Soleimani’s death, “perhaps in a disproportionate manner”.
He repeated a threat to target Iranian cultural sites, saying the US would “strike very fast and very hard” if Tehran attacked Americans or US assets.
President Trump also threatened severe sanctions against Iraq if US troops left.
“We have a very extraordinarily expensive airbase that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it,” he told reporters.
Other world leaders are urging restraint. Nato ambassadors are to meet on Monday while German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Russia later this week for talks with President Vladimir Putin.
Read Also: Pope Francis Appeals for Peace in Christmas Day Message
Voices from Iran
The BBC’s Persian service has been seeking the views of Iranian’s on Soleimani’s killing.
“I believe Soleimani did not deserve such a fate. He did a lot for Iran, to protect this country. Our enemies have been attacking us for the past four decades and he tried to save the country,” – Paniz (f)
“I don’t understand those who thank American President Trump for this attack and question what Soleimani has been doing in Syria and Iraq. I would say if Iran should not interfere in neighbouring countries, why the Americans should be allowed to come to our region all the way from the other side of the Earth?” – Sara (f)
“Soleimani was not a hero, in my opinion he was a soldier and overrated by the establishment. People are being too emotional about him,” – Erfan (m)
“I agree that we have some issues in this country… [but] one of us was killed by foreigners. Our sense of patriotism would not allow us to side with the foreigner in this. We should be uniting against this action” – Ali (m)
What are Iran’s key cultural sites?
The suggestion that the US could target Iranian cultural sites sparked alarm in Iran and beyond. Such action could be considered a war crime under international law.
Iran is home to two dozen Unesco World Heritage sites. These are sites that the UN’s cultural organization believes need preserving for their cultural, historic or scientific significance. These include:
- Persepolis, the sprawling ancient ruins which date back to 518 BC and were the site of the capital of the ancient Persian Achaemenid empire
- Naqsh-e Jahan Square in the city of Isfahan, which was built in the early 17th Century and is is one of the largest city squares in the world
- Golestan Palace in Tehran, the residence and seat of power for the Qajar dynasty which ruled Iran from 1785 to 1925
There are also a number of sites which – while not listed by Unesco – still retain huge cultural importance ,such as the Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini, dedicated to the Islamic Republic’s founder.
Reference: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51004688
