Scores of Iranian athletes, cineastes, actors, officials and celebrities have posted photos of Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the US, on their social media pages with messages of condolences and condemnation. RNA - Iran’s Culture Minister Seyed Abbas Salehi said that "each drop of the sacred blood of Hajj Qassem will give a new life to the Islamic Resistance".
Head of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Broadcasting (IRIB) Ali Askari said on the same day that the US will experience more defeats, and this crime will expedite the downfall and disintegration of the US power.
The Association for the Cinema of the Revolution and the Sacred Defense released a statement where it said that it would be soon when the call for monotheist beliefs will rule over the world, particularly over the White House of black injustice and turpitude.
Iranian Sports Minister Masoud Soltanifar said that General Soliemani was a great and valuable example for the youth, athletes, and champions.
Ebrahim Hatamikia, Majid Majidi and Masoud Dehnamaki were the directors who first extended condolences over the martyrdom of General Soliemani.
President of Iran's National Olympic Committee Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, football players Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Morteza Pouali Ganji and Seyed Jalal Hosseini, and football clubs Esteqlal, Nassaji and Sanat Naft Abadan were among the others who condemned the US’ terrorist attack and extended condolences to the Iranian nation.
Meanwhile, many of those who have posted photos of the late commander on Instagram pages have later complained that the social media platform has removed their posts or photos under the pretext that they violated the rules of the community.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by US aircraft at Baghdad International Airport early on Friday morning.
"General Qassem Soleimani has been martyred by the US helicopters after lifetime efforts," the IRGC said in a statement early Friday morning.
The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashad al-Shabi. The PMF media arm said the two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
A PMF official said seven people were martyred by missiles fired by the US helicopters at Baghdad International Airport.
He said the dead included the PMF airport protocol officer, Mohammed Reda.
The Pentagon confirmed the attack in a statement.
The attack came amid tensions that started by the US attack on PMF units that killed 28 Iraqi popular forces. A day later, Iraqi people attacked the US embassy in Baghdad. On Wednesday President Donald Trump ordered about 750 US soldiers deployed to the Middle East.
US officials earlier suggested they were to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.
The developments also represent a major downturn in Iraq-US relations that could further undermine US influence in the region and American troops in Iraq and weaken Washington’s hand in its pressure campaign against Iran.
US President Donald Trump was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag.
The attack represents a dramatic escalation by the US toward Iran after months of tensions. The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.
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