Protesters protest on the anniversary of Iranian Commander Qasim Soleimani
Tehran … News Time
Iraqi citizens have demanded the withdrawal of US troops on the first anniversary of the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike, while Israeli officials have reacted sharply to the Iranian foreign minister’s statement. It should be noted that on January 3, 2020, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mehdi al-Mohandes were killed in a U.S. airstrike near the airport in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. According to foreign news agency Reuters, the streets leading to Tahrir Square in central Baghdad were filled with thousands of protesters. Protesters also held banners calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and action against the killers. Addressing the protesters, Hashd al-Shabi leader Falah al-Fayadh vowed to retaliate against the assassins of Qasim Soleimani and Abu Mehdi al-Mohandes. He called on the army to leave Iraq. “We are here today to condemn the attacks by the United States and Israel on our leaders,” said Abu Ahmed, one of the protesters. “We demand that the government hold those who killed our leaders accountable,” he said.
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged US President Trump to be “cautious” about Israeli plans to launch a war in Iraq under the guise of attacks on US forces. Following the Iranian foreign minister’s statement, an Israeli official dismissed the allegations as false and said Israel needed to be vigilant against Iranian attacks. The United States has blamed Iranian-backed militias for rocket attacks on US installations in Iraq. No Iranian-backed group has claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks. Relations between Iran and the United States have soured since the death of General Qassem Soleimani, where US President Donald Trump has called off the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Iran. Relations between the two countries are constantly strained.
