Tehran: A tide of mourners flooded the Iranian city on Sunday, weeping and beating their chests in the Iranian city of Ahvaz on Sunday, paying homage to top general Qasem Soleimani, after he was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.
‘Death to America,’ they chanted at a mass gathering in the southwestern city, where Soleimani’s remains arrived from Iraq before dawn, according to semi-official news agency ISNA.
Packing the streets as Shiite chants resonated in the air, mourners held up portraits of Soleimani, seen as a hero of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and for spearheading Iran’s Middle East operations as commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force. Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike on Friday near Baghdad international airport, shocking the Islamic republic.
Thousands of mourners dressed in black gathered in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz in a live broadcast on state television.
The channel showed crowds gathered in Mollavi Square with flags in green, white and red — depicting the blood of “martyrs”. Aerial footage showed a tide of mourners crammed into the square and the surrounding streets of downtown Ahvaz, a city of 1.3 million people.
“A glorious crowd is at the ceremony,” said state television.
“The presence of children, teenagers, relatives, veterans, families of martyrs of (the Iran-Iraq war) and defenders of Haram (those martyred in Syria) is a glimpse of the glory of this ceremony,” it added.
In Tehran, members of parliament chanted ‘Death to America’ for a few minutes during a regular session, ISNA reported.
“Trump, this is the voice of the Iranian nation, listen,” speaker Ali Larijani was quoted as saying.
Soleimani’s remains and those of five other Iranians — all Guards members — killed in the US drone strike had arrived at Ahvaz airport before dawn, ISNA said.
With them were the remains of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iraq’s powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary umbrella group, who was also killed in the US strike. They are expected to be flown to Tehran for more tributes on Sunday evening.
On Monday, Khamenei is expected to pray over Soleimani’s remains at Tehran University before a procession to Azadi Square. His remains are then due to be taken to the holy city of Qom for a ceremony at Masumeh shrine, ahead of a funeral in his hometown Kerman on Tuesday. (PTI)
