TEHRAN – From Baghdad to Kerman, the birthplace of General Soleimani, tens of thousands of people participated in ceremonies for the commemoration of the third anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Force. 

Thousands of people from across the country flocked to General Soleimani’s tombstone in Kerman on Tuesday to pay tribute to the general and commemorate the third anniversary of his assassination by the U.S. in the early days of 2020. 

Tasnim reported from Kerman that an “unprecedented” number of Iranian and non-Iranian pilgrims headed to the gravestone of General Soleimani, evoking memories from his historic funeral three years ago. Iran’s state-run television said more than 100,000 pilgrims visited the tome of General Soleimani.

Simultaneously in Baghdad and Tehran, huge ceremonies were held to remember the General and his comrade Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. A huge number of people gathered at the Grand Mosalla Mosque of Tehran on Tuesday to commemorate the assassination anniversary. Several Iranian high-ranking officials and others from the Axis of Resistance attended the Tehran gathering. Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi addressed the attendees. “The revenge for General Soleimani is inevitable,” he told the crowd. 

In Baghdad, a huge ceremony was held at the Baghdad airport, where General Soleimani and al-Muhandis were targeted by a U.S. drone strike. Busts of the two commanders were also set up at the place of the strike. 
In addition, several Iraqi provinces declared Tuesday a public holiday to allow people to commemorate the anniversary. 

In Iran, ceremonies were held across the country. 

In the Mosalla gathering, Zeinab Soleimani, the daughter of General Soleimani, expressed appreciation for the commemoration by the people of the anniversary of her father’s assassination. 

“I thank the people of Kerman for their good welcoming of Hajj Qassem’s guests,” she said. “What is important today is for all the authorities to move down the path of General Soleimani and solve the people’s problems with sacrifice.”

She also pointed to the massive population taking part in the commemoration of her father’s assassination. “The atmosphere of these days is reminiscent of the funeral for Martyr Soleimani in January of 2020,” she said. 

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, has recently showered General Qasem Soleimani with praise in his third martyrdom anniversary.

Ayatollah Khamenei received members of the family of General Soleimani on January 1 as Iran prepared for commemorating the third anniversary of the martyrdom of the general.

During this meeting, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that breathing new life into the Resistance Front was truly an outstanding, fundamental part of Martyr Soleimani’s endeavors. “By strengthening the physical, spiritual, and mental aspects of the Resistance, the General preserved, equipped, and revived this eternal, growing phenomenon against the Zionist regime, the influence of the US, and against other arrogant countries,” the Leader said, according to a readout published by khamenei.ir.  

Ayatollah Khamenei believes that the testimony of Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, a unique human being, about General Soleimani’s struggles is a great means for understanding the importance of General Soleimani’s work in reviving the Resistance.