Nation Mourns Martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani; Calls for Revenge
According To Iran News, Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to call for revenge after U.S. assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Massive crowds rallied in many cities across the country to display their resolve to avenge General Soleimani, who was assassinated along several others, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of the Iraqi pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
The protesters expressed solidarity with General Soleimani’s family and echoed an statement by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who earlier in the day vowed a “severe revenge” in response to the move by the U.S. military.
In capital Tehran, tens of thousands of people attending the Friday prayers held a rally after the event, carrying signs that warned the United States, Israel and their regional allies of harsh consequences.
Thousands of people gathered at General Soleimani’s house in the provincial capital of Kerman, where he used to hold annual mourning ceremonies for Shia Imams on their martyrdom anniversaries.
Hojjatoleslam Hassan Alidadi, Kerman’s Friday imam, said the resistance front will even the score with the US.
“The outcome of this bloodshed is the end of U.S. military presence in the region and the resistance front’s final victory over Israel,” he said.
Similar events were held in Qom, Tabriz, Lorestan and other cities.
Meanwhile Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif strongly condemned U.S. assassination of IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Soleimani, saying it will strengthen the resistance movement across the world.
“The malice and stupidity of the terrorist American forces in assassinating General Soleimani, the hero and commander of fight against terrorism and extremism, will undoubtedly make stronger the tree of resistance in the region and the world,” Zarif said in a Friday statement.
The top diplomat said Foreign Ministry will use its political, legal, and international capacities to implement decisions made by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council in order to hold the criminal and terrorism regime of the US accountable for this blatant crime.
Zarif had earlier tweeted that “the U.S.’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani— THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.”
“The U.S. bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism,” Zarif warned.
The U.S.’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.
The U.S. bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.
The comments came after Major General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were assassinated in US airstrikes in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
“The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani,” said Ahmed al-Assadi, a PMU spokesman.
