Thousands of Iranians march in top Iranian general’s funeral

CAIRO – 5 January 2020: Thousands of Iranians in the southwestern city of Ahvaz followed the procession of the top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike earlier this month.

The Iranian commander, who US President Donald Trump has accused of being behind the death and injury of thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, was killed following his alleged major role in attacking the US embassy in Baghdad two days earlier. The two sides have since then exchanged warnings and threats.

The funeral is set to take place in various Iranian areas, according to Iranian reports.

Soleimani, 62, was Iran’s pre-eminent military leader - head of the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas Quds Force and the architect of Iran’s spreading influence in the Middle East.

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, also targeted in the US strikes, was de facto leader of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) umbrella body of paramilitary groups.

Trump on Saturday threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or US assets, Reuters reported.

On Saturday evening, a rocket fell inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone near the US Embassy, another hit the nearby Jadriya neighborhood and two more were fired at the Balad air base north of the city, but no one was killed, Iraq’s military said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.