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Soleimani: Huge crowds pack Tehran for commander's funeral | Soleimani: Huge crowds pack Tehran for commander's funeral |
(32 minutes later) | |
Mourners packed the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran for the funeral of the slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. | Mourners packed the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran for the funeral of the slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. |
Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike in Iraq on Friday on the orders of President Donald Trump. | 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'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. | |
Soleimani, 62, spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East, and was regarded as a terrorist by the US. | Soleimani, 62, spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East, and was regarded as a terrorist by the US. |
President Trump said Soleimani was plotting "imminent" attacks on US diplomats and military personnel in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. | |
What happened at Soleimani's funeral? | |
State television showed huge crowds in Tehran for the event. Soleimani was hailed as a national hero and widely considered the second most powerful man in the country behind Supreme Leader Khamenei. | |
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 faces a "dark day" for the killing. "Crazy Trump, don't think that everything is over with my father's martyrdom," she said. | His daughter Zeinab Soleimani warned the US it faces a "dark day" for the killing. "Crazy Trump, don't think that everything is over with my father's martyrdom," she said. |
Following Monday's funeral, the general's remains will then be taken to Qom, one of the centres of Shia Islam, for a ceremony ahead of a funeral in his hometown of Kerman on Tuesday. | Following Monday's funeral, the general's remains will then be taken to Qom, one of the centres of Shia Islam, for a ceremony ahead of a funeral in his hometown of Kerman on Tuesday. |
When visiting Soleimani's family members at their house in Tehran, President Rouhani said: "The Americans really did not realise what grave error they have committed. | When visiting Soleimani's family members at their house in Tehran, President Rouhani said: "The Americans really did not realise what grave error they have committed. |
"Revenge for his blood will be exacted on that day when the filthy hands of America will be cut off forever from the region." | "Revenge for his blood will be exacted on that day when the filthy hands of America will be cut off forever from the region." |
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. | |
But in a statement, Iran said it would no longer observe limitations on its capacity for enrichment, the level of enrichment, the stock of enriched material, or research and development. | |
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 Quds force - which Soleimani led - 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 said the US was ready to hit 52 Iranian sites and 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 air base that's there. It cost billions of dollars to build. We're not leaving unless they pay us back for it," he told reporters. |