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Iranians in Tehran bid farewell to General Soleimani

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Iranians bid farewell to the top commander Qasem Soleimani. /AFP

Iranian capital Tehran was packed with multitudes of people during the funeral the military commander Qasem Soleimani.

Soleimani was killed 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 Soleimani and on Sunday pulled back from the 2015 nuclear accord.

Pictures of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani are seen during a protest against the killing of Soleimani, in Gaza January 4, 2020. /REUTERS

Soleimani aged 62, headed Iran’s elite Quds Force, and was tasked with protecting and boosting Iran’s influence in the Middle East.

His career saw him support Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s civil conflict, aid the Shia militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and guide Iraqi militia groups against Islamic State.

Soleimani was hailed as a national hero in Iran and widely considered the second most powerful man in the country behind Supreme Leader Khamenei.

The US saw him as a terrorist, and President Trump said Soleimani was plotting “imminent” attacks on US diplomats and military personnel.

State television showed huge crowds in Tehran for the event.People cried while others clutched pictures of the late commander. Mourners passed his coffin over their heads and “death to America” chants were heard.

His daughter Zeinab Soleimani warned the US it faced a “dark day” for the killing.

 

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