Iranians chanted “death to America” as they mourned the death of Gen. Qasem Soleimani during a funeral procession on Saturday.
CNN reported that the mourners “wept as they walked alongside the vehicle carrying his coffin down the streets of Baghdad,” while some “carried signs that read, ‘We are all Muhandis and Soleimani.’”
More from CNN:
Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi was among the crowd of mourners walking next to the cars carrying the coffins.
Some women carrying flags of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces — the forces al-Muhandis commanded — erupted into tears when the slain commanders were mentioned. Many mourners said the attack strengthened their resolve to expel US forces from Iraq.
“This strike killed our heroes, but it created a thousand more Hajji Soleimanis and Muhandises,” said Assifa Abbas, 50, a mother of three PMF fighters. “If Parliament doesn’t vote to expel US troops, they will see the true face of the Iraqi street.”
Along with the mourners, members of Iran’s 290-seat parliament also chanted “death to America” on Sunday, The Telegraph reported.
“Mr. Trump. This is the voice of Iranian nation. Listen,” said Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani.
Soleimani was killed Friday during a U.S. airstrike as he traveled to Baghdad. A funeral for him has been planned in Tehran and other Iranian cities over the next three days.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Soleimani’s death has had a profound effect on the nation, as evidenced by the spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards breaking down on live TV while announcing the death.
The U.S. Department of Defense released a statement regarding Soleimani’s death late last week:
At the direction of the president, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more. He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.
This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.
Trump made a statement to the country on Friday after the airstrike.
“The United States military successfully executed a flawless precision strike that killed the #1 terrorist anywhere in the world, Qasem Soleimani,” Trump said. “Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him.”
“Under my leadership, America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American: We will find you, we will eliminate you, we will always protect our diplomats, service members, all Americans and our allies,” he continued. “For years the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds force under Soleimani’s leadership has targeted, injured, and murdered murder hundreds of American civilians and servicemen.”