Iran’s martyred General Qassem Soleimani remembered by millions on third anniversary

Crescent International

Jumada' al-Akhirah 10, 1444 2023-01-03

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

On the third anniversary of his martyrdom, General Qassem Soleimani was remembered by millions of people across Iran.

From early morning, people had gathered at the cemetery in his home town of Kerman to pay homage to the martyred revolutionary commander.

Similar ceremonies were held in Tehran and other cities including Esfahan, Yazd, Birjand, Rasht, Shahr-e Kord and Arak.

What was most remarkable about these ceremonies was that they were attended by a large number of young people—both male and female—to keep the memory of the great general alive.

There were commemoration ceremonies also in other countries including Iraq on whose soil the dastardly crime was committed on orders of then US president Donald Trump.

In Beirut, Hizbullah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah addressing a commemoration ceremony for the martyred general paid rich tribute to his wisdom, sagacity, spirit of self-sacrifice and strengthening the Resistance Front against zionism and imperialism.

Seyyed Nasrallah said that the US committed the crime to protect Israel but this has failed because the martyred general’s cause continues with even greater vigor.

General Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

He had just arrived at Baghdad International Airport where he was received by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

They were martyred along with their companions in a US drone strike on January 3, 2020 when Trump ordered a drone strike on their vehicle.

Iran’s judiciary, meanwhile has issued a list of 94 Americanswhom it accused of involvement in the assassination of General Soleimani and his companions.

Kazem Gharibabadi, head of Iran’s Human Rights Headquarters and Deputy Chief of the Judiciary, revealed the information on January 3.

He said: “Currently, the indictment focuses on the American defendants. This case now has 94 criminals from America. All the necessary documents have been collected by the judicial authorities and at least three complete volumes about these 94 defendants are prepared,” Gharibabadi said.

The list of war criminals includes former US president Donald Trump, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and former commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) General Kenneth F. McKenzie.

People from seven other countries were also involved in providing help to the Americans.

They include accomplices from some regional countries and two European countries, Germany and the UK, Gharibabadi said.

Soon after the Americans perpetrated the war crime, the UN Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard said that the US had committed a war crime.

General Soleimani was on a diplomatic mission to Baghdad.

Immediately after the assassination of its top general, Iran vowed revenged.

This was repeated in today’s ceremonies as well.

There is little doubt Iran will exact revenge in its own time and way.

The best revenge would be to expel the forces of imperialism and zionism from the region.

This process is well on its way and is likely to be achieved sooner rather than later.