During a visit to Major General Soleimani’s home in Tehran on Friday night, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed sympathy with the family of the martyr and offered condolences over the martyrdom of “the sincere and exalted fighter”.
“Hajj Qassem had come close to martyrdom repeatedly, but in performing his duty and fighting for the cause of God, he had no fear of anyone or anything,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that General Soleimani was martyred by “the world’s most villainous individuals” namely the American officials, adding that their pride in this crime is a distinguishing feature of “the brave fighter”.
Ayatollah Khamenei also highlighted the popularity of the martyr and prayed for patience and calm in the hearts of his family members and all Iranians.
Major General Soleimani, the deputy head of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi, and a number of their entourage were killed in a strike by American drones near Baghdad International Airport in the early hours of Friday.
The White House and the Pentagon confirmed the assassination of General Soleimani in Iraq, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of US President Donald Trump.