Soleimani's body paraded through Baghdad as supporters chant 'death to America'
Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force (IRGC) and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed by U.S. in an airstrike early Friday near the Iraqi capital's international airport. The attack ordered by United States President Donald Trump has caused regional tensions to soar.
Following the escalations of threats of all out war which Iraq will surely be the central battle ground, the US ordered additional deployment of thousands troops to the Middle East.
After hundreds of protesters targeted the US Embassy compound in Baghdad earlier this week, the US sent in 750 troops from the Immediate Response Force of the 82nd Airborne Division and said additional deployments were possible.
The new deployment will encompass the rest of the brigade -- about 3,000 soldiers.
Trump's administration has insisted that the strike was ordered to thwart an imminent threat from Iran -- not to start a war. But Democrats say the strike will increase threats to US interests from across the Middle East.
"Today the administration announced we're sending 3,000 more troops to the region," said Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
"So clearly the administration recognizes that this action has actually dramatically increased the risks in the Middle East, increased the risks of an attack from Iran and it should be no surprise to anybody who has followed these issues that Iran does mean what it says when it says this is essentially tantamount to an act of war."
An official with the US-led coalition in Iraq said it has scaled back operations and boosted "security and defensive measures" at bases hosting coalition forces in the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity according to regulations.
The mourners, many of them in tears, chanted: "No, No, America," and "Death to America, death to Israel." Mohammed Fadl, a mourner dressed in black, said the funeral is an expression of loyalty to the slain leaders. "It is a painful strike, but it will not shake us," he said. Two helicopters hovered over the procession, which was attended by Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and leaders of Iran-backed militias. The procession later made its way to the Shiite holy city of Karbala, in central Iraq.
The gates to Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses government offices and foreign embassies, including the US Embassy, were closed.
Iraq, which is closely allied with both Washington and Tehran, condemned the airstrike that killed Soleimani and called it an attack on its national sovereignty.
Parliament is to meet for an emergency session on Sunday, and the government has come under mounting pressure to expel the 5,200 American troops based in the country, who are there to help prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.
The US has ordered all citizens to leave Iraq and closed its embassy in Baghdad, where Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters staged two days of violent protests earlier this week in which they breached the compound.
Read: Soleimani Assassination: US Senator Urges Oversight As Iran Tension Escalates
Tensions between the US and Iran have steadily intensified since Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and restore crippling sanctions.
The administration's "maximum pressure" campaign has led Iran to openly abandon commitments under the deal.
The US has also blamed Iran for a wave of increasingly provocative attacks in the region, including the sabotage of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and an attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure in September that temporarily halved its production.
Iran denied involvement in those attacks, but admitted to shooting down a U.S surveillance drone in June that it said had strayed into its airspace.
On Saturday, billboards appeared on major streets in Iran showing Soleimani and carrying the warning from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that "harsh revenge" awaits the US.
Iranian state television also aired images of a ceremony honoring Soleimani at a mosque in the Shiite holy city of Qom, where a red flag was unfurled above the minarets. Red flags in Shiite tradition symbolize both blood spilled unjustly and serve as a call to avenge a person who is slain.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Soleimani's home in Tehran to express his condolences.
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