Crowds Flood Ahvaz Streets for Soleimani Funeral Procession

Crowds of people marched in the streets of Ahvaz, Iran, to mourn Qassem Soleimani as his body was returned to the country on January 5.

Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in a US strike in Iraq on January 3 along with senior Iraqi militia official Abu Mahdi al Muhandis.

The strike marked a major escalation in tensions between Iran and the US, with Iran vowing revenge.

Soleimani’s remains were brought to the southwest city of Ahvaz, where reports said Soleimani served during the Iran-Iraq war, before being brought to Mashhad. Iran cancelled a ceremony to honor Soleimani in Tehran on Sunday night due to the large turnout in Mashhad.

This footage filmed by Hossein Mersadi shows thousands of people on the Naderi Bridge, or 4th Bridge, and gathered on the streets of Ahvaz on Sunday. Credit: Hossein Mersadi via Storyful