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Scores killed in Soleimani funeral stampede in Iran

A STAMPEDE at a funeral procession for General Qasem Soleimani killed at least 50 people and injured nearly 200 today.

According to Iranian state television the stampede took place in Kerman, the hometown of the Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force leader, as the funeral procession got underway. 

There was no information as to what had set it off. Initial videos posted online showed people lying lifeless on a road and others shouting and trying to help them.

His funeral was delayed, but no new timing has been given.

The head of Iran’s emergency medical services Pirhossein Koulivand said: “Unfortunately as a result of the stampede, some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions.” 

Earlier today, the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ commander-in-chief Hossein Salami pledged in front of a large crowd in Kerman’s central square to “set ablaze” places supported by the US.

Gen Soleimani’s killing in a drone strike on Friday has sparked calls across Iran for revenge for the assassination.

The US government has warned ships of an unspecified threat from Iran across all the region’s waterways which are crucial routes for global energy supplies. 

Meanwhile, the US Air Force launched a fighter jet drill in Utah, just days after President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 sites in Iran.

Mr Soleimani is viewed by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force and for his role in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

The US blames him for the killing of US troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before his death. 

But this claim is disputed, with the US Congress demanding answers from Mr Trump.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi told parliamentarians that Gen Soleimani had been on a peace mission in Iraq to de-escalate tensions with regional rival Saudi Arabia.

He claimed this was carried out with the approval of Mr Trump who called to thank him for his efforts.

Gen Soleimani’s killing has already pushed Iran to abandon the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

In Baghdad, the Iraqi parliament has called for the expulsion of all US troops from Iraqi soil, with Mr Trump threatening severe sanctions in response.

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