Fifty people have been killed and more than 200 injured in a stampede as Iranians gathered for the burial of a leading commander killed in a US drone strike.
The deaths in Qasem Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman led to the ceremony being delayed.
Millions of people are estimated to have packed the streets for a series of funeral processions in Iran.
Iranian State TV reported that most of the injured were elderly people who had been going from Azadi Square in Kerman towards Beheshti Street when they got trapped in the huge crowds and died.
The deaths led officials to cancel of Gen. Soleimani’s internment. A new time will be announced later.
It is unclear what caused the stampede.
Soleimani is being laid to rest in his hometown of Kerman, with millions already estimated to have packed the streets for funeral processions.
Thousands gathered in Kerman’s central square on Tuesday morning to pay their respects to the leader of the al-Quds force.
Earlier in the day Hossein Salami, the leader of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) spoke at the gathering where he threatened to “set ablaze” places supported by the US.
“We will take revenge. We will set ablaze where they like,” Salami said, as the crowd chanted “Death to Israel!”
Israel is a longtime regional foe of Iran.
