Iranians Mark Fifth Anniversary of General Soleimani’s Assassination

By Staff, Agencies

Thousands of Iranians gathered in Kerman Province to honor General Qassem Soleimani on the fifth anniversary of his assassination.

Despite cold and snowy weather, people from all walks of life paid their respects at Soleimani’s hometown and burial site. Similar commemorations were held across Iran, including in Tehran.

General Soleimani, commander of the IRG’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq’s PMU, were killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.

The attack, authorized by then-President Donald Trump, targeted the figures who played critical roles in combating the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for “ISIS” / “ISIL”] in Iraq and Syria.

The assassination prompted widespread backlash in West Asia. Iraqi lawmakers passed a bill to expel US-led forces, and the IRG retaliated with missile strikes on the US-run Ain Al-Asad base in Iraq.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution his Eminence Imam Ali Khamenei praised Soleimani's contributions, highlighting his efforts to strengthen the Resistance Front.

Meanwhile, an Iranian court recently ruled that the US government and related entities must pay nearly $50 billion in compensation for their roles in Soleimani’s assassination.