Thousands march in Tehran to mourn ‘beloved’ military commander Soleimani, killed by US drone strike

Protesters dressed in black have marched in Tehran and other cities, decrying the killing on Thursday night of the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Major General Qassem Soleimani, which was ordered by Washington.

People flooded the streets of Tehran after Friday prayers in honor of Soleimani and other officials killed during a US airstrike in Iraq’s capital.

The mostly black-clad protesters were chanting traditional anti-American slogans like “Down with the US!” while also praising Soleimani as a “hero” of the nation. Many were carrying photos of the killed Quds commander and banners suggesting that the victim was “beloved” by the army.

Some were displaying the words “Harsh revenge” on their banners, a reference to the promise of vengeance by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the army against those responsible for Soleimani’s death. The government has declared a three-day period of mourning throughout Iran.

Crowds of people have also been gathering outside Soleimani’s house in the central city of Kerman, where the Major General spent his youth and worked before joining the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad’s airport, along with Abud Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Tehran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) militia and eight other officials. 

The Pentagon argued the killing was necessary to deter “future Iranian attack plans.”

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have branded the airstrike as an “act of international terrorism.”

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