The Funeral of General Qasem Soleimani Will Take Place on January 7

The funeral of General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was killed in Iraq, will be held on January 7 in his hometown of Kerman. According to reports from Armenpress citing Interfax, this was announced by the IRGC.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has met with the slain general's family. On January 3, Qasem Soleimani was killed near Baghdad International Airport by U.S. airstrikes. The order for the attack was given personally by President Donald Trump. The U.S. military has stated that this action was a defensive measure to prevent further attacks on U.S. interests in the region.

The United States holds Soleimani responsible for approving protests in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on December 31, while President Trump stated that Soleimani “killed or seriously wounded thousands of Americans.” Iran's Press TV reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised to respond severely to those responsible for Soleimani's death, indicating that Iran and other countries in the region would seek revenge against the United States.

Khamenei also declared a three-day national mourning period. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to the act as a terrorist act by the U.S. According to Fox News, citing sources from the White House, State Department, and U.S. military, the Trump administration does not rule out any further developments, and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, in a phone call with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, indicated that Washington has considered any potential responses from Iran.

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern regarding the events in Baghdad, noting that they could further endanger regional peace and destabilize the situation in the Middle East and beyond. “Armenia stands for the de-escalation of the situation exclusively through peaceful means,” stated the Armenian Foreign Ministry.