This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51004688
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| 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. | 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. | 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? | 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. | 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. | 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 burial 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? | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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? | 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". | 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. | 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. | 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. | "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. |