Daughter of Iranian general killed in US drone strike warns at his funeral that families of US troops 'will spend their days waiting for the death of their children'

Ryan PickrellJan 6, 2020, 20:03 IST

Huge crowds of mourners dressed in black filled the streets of the Iranian capital on Monday for the funeral of slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Gen. Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, was killed last week in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq.
Speaking at the funeral, Zeinab Soleimani, the general's daughter, warned that "families of American soldiers ... will spend their days waiting for the death of their children."
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As huge crowds filled the streets of Tehran on Monday for the funeral of slain of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, his daughter issued a chilling warning.

"Families of the American soldiers," Zeinab Soleimani said at the funeral, "will spend their days waiting for the death of their children."

Warning of a "dark day" for the US, she added: "Crazy Trump, don't think that everything is over with my father's martyrdom."

The crowd, according to NPR, cheered as she issued her threats.

An Iranian eulogist speaking during earlier funeral events offered an $80 million bounty for the assassination of President Donald Trump. "We are 80 million Iranians," he said, according to Newsweek. "If each one of us puts aside one American dollar, we will have 80 million American dollars, and we will reward anyone who brings us [Trump]'s head with that amount."

While the comments aired on Iranian state television, there is presently no indication the Iranian regime supports such action.

Gen. Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, was killed last week in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq. For years, his forces have terrorized US personnel in the region. His death, the Pentagon argues, was necessary to prevent future attacks.

His death followed a rocket attack on a base in Iraq that killed a US civilian contractor and injured several US service members and a massive assault on the US Embassy in Baghdad carried out by Iran-backed militias, entities Soleimani is said to have directed from behind the scenes.

While the US has long considered Soleimani a terrorist, to the Iranian regime, he was a celebrated hero.

During the funeral on Monday, a sea of mourners dressed in black filled the streets of the Iranian capital. Iranian state media reports that millions attended, claiming that Monday's gathering was the largest funeral procession since the 1989 funeral for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

CNN reported that mourners were chanting "down with the USA" and "death to the USA."

Gen. Soleimani was succeeded by Esmail Ghaani, who warned in an interview that aired Monday that Iran will have its revenge.

"God, the almighty, has promised to get his revenge, and God is the main avenger. Certainly, actions will be taken," Ghaani told Iranian state television, according to the Associated Press.

"We promise to continue down martyr Soleimani's path as firmly as before with help of God," he added, telling Iranian media that the aim is "to get rid of America from the region."

The killing of Gen. Soleimani has escalated tensions between the US and Iran.

Amid talk of retaliation from Iran, President Donald Trump issued a threat of his own, tweeting Saturday that if Iran strikes any Americans or American assets, Iran "WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD."

He added in a follow-up tweet: "They attacked us, & we hit back. If they attack again, which I would strongly advise them not to do, we will hit them harder than they have ever been hit before!"

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Daughter of Iranian general killed in US drone strike warns at his funeral that families of US troops 'will spend their days waiting for the death of their children'