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Iranians mass for burial in hometown of general killed by US
KERMAN, Iran, Jan 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Iranians gathered in Kerman for the
burial Tuesday of top general Qasem Soleimani in the final stage of funeral
processions after he was killed in a US strike in Iraq.
The massive number of mourners in the hometown of the slain commander of
the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force foreign operations arm appeared to match
the huge turnout seen in the cities of Tehran, Qom, Mashhad and Ahvaz.
A hugely popular figure in the Islamic republic, Soleimani was killed
outside Baghdad airport on Friday in a drone strike ordered by US President
Donald Trump, ratcheting up tensions with arch-enemy Iran which has vowed
“severe revenge”.
“The martyr Qassem Soleimani is more powerful… now that he is dead,”
said the Revolutionary Guards’ top general, Major General Hossein Salami.
“The enemy killed him unjustly,” he told the sea of black-clad mourners.
Schoolgirls joined chants of “Death to Trump” from the crowd, an AFP
correspondent reported.
The assassination of Soleimani set off an escalating war of words between
Iran and the United States.
In Tehran on Monday, President Hassan Rouhani warned Trump to “never
threaten” Iran, after the US leader issued a US strike list of 52 targets in
the Islamic republic.
People converged from afar on Azadi Square where two flag-draped coffins
were on display, with the second one reportedly containing the remains of
Soleimani’s closest aide, Brigadier General Hossein Pourjafari.
“We’re here today to pay respects to the great commander of the holy
defence,” said one of the mourners who came from the southern city of Shiraz
to attend the funeral in Kerman.
“Haj Qasem was not only loved in Kerman, or Iran, but also the whole
world,” Hemmat Dehghan told AFP.
“The security of the whole world, Muslims, Shiites, Iraq, Syria,
Afghanistan and especially Iran, all owe it to him,” said the 56-year-old war
veteran.
– ‘Boils the blood’ –
Another mourner said Soleimi’s assassination “boils the blood of the
Iranian people”.
“He was seen as a great man who was ready to serve his people both then in
the war and now. He must certainly be avenged,” said Sara Khaksar, an 18-
year-old student.
Friday’s assassination of the 62-year-old Soleimani heightened
international concern about a new war in the volatile Middle East and rattled
financial markets.
Iraq’s parliament has demanded the government expel the 5,200 American
troops stationed in the country in response to the drone attack which also
killed top Iraqi military figure Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Baghdad requested in a letter to the UN — seen by AFP — that the
Security Council condemn the US drone strike, so that “the law of the jungle”
was not allowed to prevail.
The operation represented “a dangerous escalation that could lead to a
devastating war in Iraq, the region and the world,” wrote the Iraqi
ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Hussein Bahr-Aluloom.
– Markets on edge –
World financial markets have been on edge over the crisis.
“The new year has started with a bang in so far as volatility is
concerned,” said Fawad Razaqzada at Forex.com.
“This is mainly due to the escalation of tensions between the US and Iran
after Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian military commander Qasem
Soleimani.”
On Sunday night, the United States mistakenly notified the Iraqi
government of an imminent troop pullout in a letter that sparked confusion in
Washington.
“We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure,” said the
letter, whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by both Iraqi and US defence
officials.
In the letter, US Brigadier General William Seely said the US-led
coalition would “be repositioning forces”.
But Pentagon Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley said the letter was a mere
“draft” and “should not have been sent.”
“It was a mistake, an honest mistake, a draft unsigned letter, because we
are moving forces around,” Milley told reporters in Washington.
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said the letter was “inconsistent” with
Washington’s position and denied there had been a decision to leave Iraq.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned on Monday that Iran must avoid “further
violence and provocations” after the alliance held emergency talks on the
crisis.
The European Union, whose foreign ministers will hold emergency talks on
the crisis Friday, said it was in both Iran and Iraq’s interests to “take the
path of sobriety and not the path of escalation”.
Saudi Arabia — an oil-rich US ally seen as vulnerable to Iranian counter
strikes — also appealed for calm after a “very dangerous” escalation.
Soleimani is expected to be buried at the martyrs’ cemetery in Kerman
between 2:00 and 4:00 pm (1030 and 1230 GMT).
BSS/AFP/BZC/1300HRS