Qassem Soleimani’s Body Buried at Night

Qassem Soleimani’s body was buried at night after several hours of delay. At least 50 people were killed in a crush during the ceremony, which is why the funeral was postponed.

The body of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, was buried in “Vadi al-Salam cemetery” in Kerman shortly after Iran’s missile attack on the U.S. military base of Ayn al-Asad in Iraq.

The funeral ceremony was scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, but due to overcrowding and the deaths of dozens of people, the ceremony was postponed.

Mehdi Sadeqi, head of Qassem Soleimani’s burial committee, said that due to the crowd crush, it was impossible to proceed with his burial and that of other victims. He told ISNA news agency that the burial time would be announced later.

Iran’s Emergency Organization director announced that 56 people died and 213 were injured in Qassem Soleimani’s funeral ceremony in Kerman. Earlier, media outlets had reported 35 deaths.

Iran’s Ministry of Health said it is currently unable to confirm the exact number of deaths and injuries.

Deaths Among Ceremony Participants

Iran’s Emergency Organization director announced: “As a result of overcrowding and the massive throng of mourners in Kerman, a number of citizens lost their lives and several injured people were transferred to medical centers.” The security director general of Kerman province also confirmed this news.

During the funeral ceremony in Tehran, 62 people were also injured.

“We Will Set Their Beloved Places on Fire”

Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said during Qassem Soleimani’s burial ceremony in Kerman: “I will say the final word first: we will take revenge; hard, firm, regretful, decisive, and conclusive revenge. Be assured, be calm.”

In another part of his remarks, he added: “But if they take any other action, we will set on fire the places they love and cherish.”

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened that if Iran took retaliatory action, the U.S. military would target 52 sensitive points in the country, including sites of cultural significance to Iran.

Shamkhani: 13 Revenge Scenarios Proposed

Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that 13 revenge scenarios have been proposed so far. He also claimed that even if consensus is reached on the weakest scenario, its implementation could be a historical nightmare for Americans.

According to Shamkhani, the “revenge operation” is not intended to take place as a single operation.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary added: “If U.S. forces do not exit our region on their own feet vertically, we will make sure their bodies exit horizontally.”

Source: DW