Crowds swarm Tehran to mourn slain Iran military leader Soleimani

Editor’s note: Michael Ware is a former Time magazine and CNN correspondent who was based in Baghdad from 2003 to 2009. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.

President Donald Trump says he ordered the killing of Iranian top general Qasem Soleimani “to stop a war.” But that’s simply not true.

Rather than stop a war, Trump just called Tehran’s bluff and wagered all in with the single most daring American act in a conflict that’s been raging for years.

Decades-long war: The war between the United States of America and Iran dates all the way back to 1953, when the US staged a coup d’etat in Iran to take down a popular, secular and nationalist prime minister.

This coup then led to the 1979 revolution that placed an ayatollah on the throne and the rule of the mullahs still in power today – the very same mullahs that Soleimani served.

When the Iranians revolted, they overran the US Embassy in Tehran, taking dozens of American diplomats and Marines hostage, as seen in the 2012 movie “Argo.”

That is when this war began. Not with this week’s drone strike.

Soleimani’s significance: Soleimani did more to shape then re-shape the region than any king, prince, sultan, president, or prime minister.

For more than 20 years, he commanded the Quds Force – arguably, the most elite special forces outfit in the region, if not the world. They are spies, soldiers and technical experts. In Western terms, they are a hybrid of Green Berets, SAS commandos and Delta Force operators all fused into one.

Washington understood his value – that is why Trump ordered the drone strike.

Will his assassination alter Iran’s strategic ambitions? No. But will it slow them down? Maybe.

Read the full op-ed here.

President Donald Trump in Miami, Florida, on January 3, 2020.

Posting on Twitter Sunday, President Trump appeared to declare that his tweets were enough to notify Congress of any US military action – which led to swift criticism from Democrats.

The Democratic-led House Foreign Affairs committee shot back at Trump’s post in their own tweet Sunday night, stating, “This Media Post will serve as a reminder that war powers reside in the Congress under the United States Constitution. And that you should read the War Powers Act. And that you’re not a dictator.”

The War Powers Act: It states that when US armed forces abroad are “substantially enlarge(d)” without a war declaration, “the President shall submit within 48 hours … a report, in writing” to the House Speaker and to the President pro tempore of the Senate.

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, left, and Qasem Soleimani were killed in the US strike.

It’s been three days since President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

Tensions are running high, with Iran promising revenge, Iraqi lawmakers pushing to expel US troops from the country, world leaders pleading for peace, and protests in several nations.

If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

What to expect today: The funeral procession for Soleimani is continuing Monday in Iran, after his body arrived in the capital, Tehran. His body will be carried by supporters, placed in a shrine, and then finally be laid to rest in his hometown of Kerman.

US Customs and Border Protection has denied claims on social media that Iranian Americans were being detained and refused entry to the United States over the weekend.

A series of social media posts claimed that Iranian Americans had been held for extended periods of time at a port of entry in Blaine, Washington, at the Canadian border.

In one post that was shared more than 24,000 times, activists claimed that CBP had been “ordered” to detain “all Iranians entering the country deemed potentially suspicious.”

The agency said that “based on the current threat environment, CBP is operating with an enhanced posture at its ports of entry to safeguard our national security and protect the American people while simultaneously protecting the civil rights and liberties of everyone.”

Attacks outside the US Embassy in Baghdad.

US officials will meet with their Iraqi counterparts on Monday and Tuesday in Washington, with the two countries’ relationship under strain.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi (left) attends a parliament session in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 5.

US officials tried to convince Iraqi leaders to prevent Sunday’s parliamentary vote to expel American troops from the country, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

US officials claimed it would be harmful for Iraq to follow through on such a move and hold the vote at all – but ultimately the argument fell flat.

Axios was first to report the push by US officials.

What the vote means: It is too soon to know if the expulsion vote will come to fruition, due to the legal and procedural steps that would be necessary, the sources said. Iraq’s council of ministers will this week have a meeting on the topic, where they will begin to determine the way forward, one of the sources explained.

US President Donald Trump

During a flight from Florida to Washington on Air Force One, President Donald Trump spoke with reporters about the increasing tensions with Iran.

He reiterated his threat to target Iranian cultural sites.

Asked about the prospects of retaliation from Iran after the death of Qasem Soleimani, Trump said “If it happens it happens.”

Trump also threatened sanctions against Iraq should US troops be expelled from the country. The Iraqi Parliament voted Sunday to obligate Iraq’s government “to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil.”

Trump said the costs of maintaining an American troop presence in the country over the past years should be repaid by Iraq if the country chooses to rescind an agreement allowing them to stay. 

“We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there. It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it,” Trump said.

Lastly, Trump said he would not rule out releasing some of the intelligence that led to the US killing Soleimani.

Zainab Qasem Soleimani, daughter of Qasem Soleimani, spoke with Lebanese television station al-Manar TV on Sunday, saying President Trump needs to know “his crime will never wipe out the remembrance of my father.” She added that “his martyrdom inspired rebirth in our souls.”

L-R: French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a joint statement Sunday calling on all parties to “exercise utmost restraint” and saying there is “an urgent need for de-escalation” concerning rising tensions with Iran after the death of Qasem Soleimani.

The three leaders also said they condemned the attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and are “gravely concerned by the negative role Iran has played in the region” under the command of Soleimani. They urged Iraqi officials to continue providing “all the necessary support” to the coalition forces.

“The current cycle of violence in Iraq must be stopped,” the statement read.

Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed paramilitary group of the Popular Mobilization Forces, said in a statement Sunday they supported the resolution by the Iraqi Parliament to remove foreign forces from the country.

The group said closing of “the US Embassy of Evil” and adopting the resolution are priorities for the government.

Kata’ib Hezbollah praised the parliament members who attended and voted in Sunday’s emergency session.

“While we commend those who voted in favor of the resolution, we value the courageous stance of Mr. Adel Abdel Mahdi, and the speaker of the House of representatives, and we blame those who missed the voting session, placing themselves on the record of shame and disgrace,” the statement read.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi 

Iraqi officials are preparing a memorandum for the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi told French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in a phone conversation Sunday.

The Iraqi Parliament voted Sunday to obligate Iraq’s government “to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil,” according to the media office of the Iraqi Parliament.

King Abdullah II of Jordan and Iraqi President Barham Salih spoke by phone Sunday. The King emphasized the need to de-escalate tensions in Iraq and the region.

The King urged all parties to exercise restraint and reiterated Jordan’s support for Iraq’s security, sovereignty and stability, according to a statement by the media office of the Iraqi President.

“Iraq seeks to be a point of cooperation and inclusion rather than to be a battleground to settle scores for all regional and international states,” Salih told the monarch.

The bodies of Gen. Qasem Soleimani and his companions arrived in Tehran, Iran, early Monday to massive crowds. according to Iran’s Press TV.

Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike Friday, increasing tensions between Iran and the United States.

French President Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron called US President Donald Trump on Sunday, emphasizing his solidarity with French allies in the wake of “the recent increase in tensions in Iraq and in the region,” he said in a statement.

Macron indicated that the American and French priority should be the pursuit of action against ISIS within the framework of the international coalition and with “full respect for the sovereignty of Iraq.”

Macron expressed concern about the destabilizing activities of the Quds Force, which was led by Qasem Soleimani, and reiterated the need for Iran to put an end to such activities. Macron also urged Iran to refrain from any military escalation likely to aggravate regional instability.

Muqtada al-Sadr, a leading Shia cleric and the head of Iraq’s largest political bloc, Saeroun, called the Iraqi Parliament’s vote Sunday a “weak response in comparison to American violations of Iraqi sovereignty.”

Moqtada al-Sadr

Parliament voted Sunday to obligate Iraq’s government “to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil.” 

Al-Sadr called for Parliament to terminate the security agreement with the United States immediately and to close the “evil American embassy” and all American bases immediately, he said in a statement.

Al-Sadr urged the so-called “national resistance forces,” a term used to describe paramilitary and militia forces, to support Iraqi security forces in protecting Iraq’s sovereignty.

The bloc leader also wants Iraqi resistance groups inside and outside the country to form “international resistance regiments.”

Al-Sadr reactivated the Mehdi Army after Qasem Soleimani’s death. The army is his militia group, which was officially disbanded more than a decade ago.

State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus 

A spokesperson for State Department said today that “the United States is disappointed by the action taken today in the Iraqi Council of Representatives” to begin to work towards the end of US troops presence in Iraq. 

 Earlier Sunday, the Iraqi Parliament voted to obligate Iraq’s government “to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil,” following the controversial targeted airstrike on Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and a Iraqi militia leader.

Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that the US is awaiting “further clarification on the legal nature” of Iraq’s resolution and that the US hopes Iraq will reconsider.

Ortagus added: “We believe it is in the shared interests of the United States and Iraq to continue fighting ISIS together. This administration remains committed to a sovereign, stable, and prosperous Iraq.”

The resolution to end foreign troop presence in Iraq was passed today overwhelmingly by Shia members of parliament. All Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the vote, only about a dozen Sunni lawmakers attended.

The statement from the parliament says the vote “obligates” the Iraqi government to cancel its 2014 request for coalition assistance against ISIS. 

Parliament says this includes ending all operations on land, water and Iraqi airspace, for any reasons. 

The parliament’s vote is not binding, it is up to the Iraqi executive to enact it, even if it is a care-taker government.

At least two Katyusha rockets hit the International Zone in Baghdad — commonly called the Green Zone — late Sunday evening, according to new information released in a statement from the Iraq Defense Ministry.

A third Katyusha rocket landed near the Green Zone, according to the statement.

It is unclear if there were any casualties or damage to any structures. It is also unclear who shot the rockets.

On Saturday, a rocket impacted the Green Zone, the Iraqi Army said in the statement at the time.

The Green Zone contains the parliament, ministries and foreign embassies, including that of the US. Some of the Green Zone is protected by barriers.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted details on the legislative action decided upon by Iranian cabinet members Sunday in which the country will no longer limit itself to the nuclear restrictions set forth in 2015 by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

More on the JCPOA: Under the terms of the nuclear deal, Iran had committed to not using advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium, among other restrictions on its nuclear program, in exchange for the removal of strict sanctions.

But the pact has been in jeopardy since May 2018, when President Trump withdrew the US from the agreement. The deal is still supported by five other nations – Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

Since withdrawing from the pact, Washington has passed multiple rounds of sanctions on Iran, crippling the country’s economy. Earlier this year, Rouhani said Iran would partially withdraw from the deal in response.

After a much anticipated cabinet meeting where Iranian officials discussed the fifth and final phase of cutting down its nuclear commitments, it was decided that Iran will no longer limit itself to the restrictions set forth in 2015 by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), according to a statement on state-run news agency IRNA.

The limits to nuclear operations outlined in the statement include abiding by limits on uranium enrichment, percentage of uranium enrichment, amount of enriched materials and research and development associated with nuclear operations.

The coalition fighting ISIS announced today it was temporarily stopping its counter-ISIS missions because it needs to use all resources to protect coalition forces and Iraqi bases housing them following the airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday.

Citing the recent attacks by the Kata’ib Hezbollah militia which have resulted in the deaths of a US civilian contractor and Iraqi security forces, the coalition said, “As a result we are now fully committed to protecting the Iraqi bases that host Coalition troops.”

Some context: CNN reported last week that coalition forces had decided to only conduct “limited” counter-ISIS missions with the Iraqi Security Forces and prioritizing force protection due to the attacks by Kata’ib Hezbollah and other security concerns. This has now turned into a full pause.

 Iranians march behind a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qasem Soleimani and others as they pay homage in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Jan. 5.

Two senior US officials currently serving tell CNN there is “deep opposition” within the administration to targeting cultural sites in Iran.

This follows President Trump’s tweet Saturday evening threatening that as part of retaliation if Iran attacks US interests. 

“As a matter of principle, we as a nation and as a military do not attack the culture sites of any adversary,” a former Trump and Obama career administration official said.

Several sources tell CNN there are no indications at this time that the US would strike cultural sites in Iran . 

The White House did not return a request for comment Saturday evening requesting details regarding the President’s tweet. CNN has asked for comment today regarding the opposition within the administration.

CNN’s Alex Marquardt contributed to this story

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to mete out “just retribution” for the killing of Iran’s top military general Qasem Soleimani, promising to expel US forces from the region. 

“Soleimani is not only an Iranian issue, he is all of the axis of resistance,” Nasrallah added. “Soleimani is the Muslim nation.”

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese armed group and political party, is part of a coalition of fighting groups which includes Yemeni Houthi rebels, Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza and Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq. Soleimani is widely seen as having masterminded the so-called “axis of resistance.” 

He said that the deaths of Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, also killed in the attack, marked “the beginning of a new phase and a new history, not just for Iran or Iraq but for the entire region.”

Before the airstrike: In his speech, Nasrallah said Soleimani visited him in Beirut on New Year’s Day – two days before Soleimani was killed in a US strike in Baghdad airport.

The Hezbollah chief said he felt that the US was planning to assassinate Soleimani. According to Nasrallah, Soleimani smiled and said “I hope so.”

Thousands of mourners attended a funeral ceremony today for Qasem Soleimani and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a US drone strike Friday.

The mourners were seen in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, today.

The body of Soleimani arrived as President Trump threatened to bomb 52 sites in the Islamic Republic if Tehran retaliates by attacking Americans, according to the Mehr News Agency.

The scheduled ceremony for Soleimani slated to take place at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla on Sunday night has been cancelled due to the delayed procession caused by the large turnout of mourners who showed up in Mashhad, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The IRGC cited the late arrival of Soleimani’s body to Tehran as a cause for the cancellation. Mourners were advised to attend a ceremony slated to take place at the University of Tehran on Monday.

The Iraqi parliament has voted to obligate the Iraqi government “to work towards ending the presence of all foreign troops on Iraqi soil,” according to the media office of the Iraqi parliament.  

Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry filed a complaint via two letters to the president of the United Nations Security Council and UN Secretary General, about the “American attacks and assaults against Iraqi military locations,” according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

The complaint was also about the death of Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization, and others on Iraqi soil.

“These attacks represent a serious violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the conditions of the presence of the American forces in Iraq,” the statement read, adding, “Iraq called on the Security Council to condemn the bombing and assassinations.”

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, said today that he hoped the Iraqi parliament would draft a law calling for the departure of US troops from Iraq but that – if they don’t – Iraq’s “resistance fighters will not let a single American soldier remain.” 

Addressing supporters at a memorial rally south of Beirut for Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Nasrallah said his hope was that Iraqi lawmakers would end the US presence in Iraq. 

If parliament cannot do this, Nasrallah said, “what I know about the Iraqis, and the Iraqi resistance factions is that the honorable [Shia] resistence fighters will not let a single American soldier remain in Iraq.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday backed President Trump’s strong threats to Iran as the US braces for potential retaliatory actions by the country following an attack last week by US forces that killed Iran’s top military leader. 

Pompeo continued: “We’re trying to restore deterrence that frankly is a need that results directly from the fact that the previous administration left us in a terrible place with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran … we have developed a strategy to convince the Iranian regime to behave like a normal nation. That’s what our strategy is about. We’ve been executing it.”

Some context: The comments from Pompeo come amid dramatically increasing tensions between Tehran and Washington following a series of US attacks in the region, including one last week in Iraq that killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani and several others.

Though the President has claimed Soleimani was planning attacks on US forces and that the action was taken “to stop a war,” he vowed specific military action against Iran if it “strikes any Americans, or American assets.”

Watch more of Pompeo on “State of the Union” below:

Photo taken from a memorial ceremony in Dahiyeh, the southern suburb of Beirut.

Supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have gathered for a memorial rally in Beirut.

The message coming from the angry crowd is clear: They expect a war.

There’s a sense of focused energy at this gathering. Lebanese Hezbollah has received support from Iran and the men here consider Qasem Soleimani to be one of their key leaders. Some of the women are dressed in black, carrying Soleimani’s portraits.

They expect revenge and conflicts to be ahead. Many in the crowd are wearing yellow headbands with the words “Death to Americans” written on them.

Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Lebanese Hezbollah, addressed the rally on Sunday, promising a revenge.

He said the deaths of Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis marked “the beginning of a new phase and a new history, not just for Iran or Iraq but for the entire region.”

More context: Lebanese Hezbollah has long been in a state of conflict with Israel and many are concerned there may be flash points. A spark of conflict between the two sides could end in a catastrophe. 

Photo taken from a memorial ceremony in Dahiyeh, the southern suburb of Beirut. The yellow headbands read, "death to America."

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss envoy in Tehran today to protest against President Trump’s comments threatening Iran’s cultural sites, according to state-run IRNA.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the Swiss charge d’affaires – who represents US interests in Iran and acts as a diplomatic conduit between Tehran and Washington – that Trump’s threats “are prohibited by the International Humanitarian Law governing the armed conflicts” and amount to” war crimes.”

Araqchi was referring to tweets by the US president threatening to strike 52 Iranian sites, including cultural sites, if Iran takes action in the aftermath of the targeted killing of one of its top commanders Qasem Soleimani early Friday.

“Araghchi said that Trump’s hostile, threatening, and unlawful remarks are in contravention of the International Law,” IRNA reported.

Read Trump’s tweets below:

The Iranian government is set to make a decision on the future of the nuclear deal on Sunday.

President Hassan Rouhani’s Cabinet will hold a meeting Sunday evening to discuss the fifth phase of cutting down its nuclear commitments, which will determine the country’s approach to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday.   

“Today’s decision will determine Iran’s policy concerning the implementation of the JCPOA and the future of the deal,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Sunday at a presser in Tehran, as quoted by state news agency IRNA. 

 France, Germany and China have urged Iran to preserve the deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will hold a meeting Sunday evening to decide the future of the nuclear deal.

Mousavi also said that foreign media is trying to portray killed general Qasem Soleimani in a wrong way and that those attempts will not succeed. 

He thanked the Iraqi government for the funeral ceremony for those killed in the US airstrike Friday, and expressed condolences on the “martyrdom” of Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis and everyone killed in the airstrike.

The European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to Brussels, the EU’s diplomatic branch wrote in a statement on Sunday.

File photo of Josep Borrell.

According to the statement by the EU External Action Service, Borrell and Zarif spoke on the phone during the weekend about “the need for de-escalation” and “the importance of preserving the JCPOA [nuclear deal].”

The statement further states that in the call, Borrell “urged Iran to exercise restraint” and “carefully consider any reaction” in order to avoid further escalation. Borrell said a regional political solution was “the only way forward” and the EU was ready to support this.

The scale of Iran’s influence across the Middle East in on display on Sunday.

In Beirut, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is holding a rally and a memorial service to honor “two martyrs Soleimani and Al-Muhandis.”

Hezbollah supporters have gathered to mourn Soleimani.

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah condemned the killing of Soleimani and said that the US will not be able to achieve any of its goals by this. 

Nasrallah has also said that the group would “complete his path and work day and night to achieve his goals.” 

Posters of Soleimani are on display in the southern Beirut neighborhood of Dahiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold.

The Iraqi Parliament called an extraordinary session for Sunday to decide the future of US troops in Iraq.

The meeting was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), but has been delayed. Several members of parliament told CNN only 20 or so lawmakers have turned up, out of a total of 329. It’s uncertain whether the session will go ahead at all – the Iraqi Parliament often fails to meet when contentious issues are on the agenda.

Draft proposals that have been submitted by a number of political parties vary from a plan to force US troops out immediately, to keeping them in the country under revised conditions.

American soldiers take position around the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Hamdallah al-Rikabi, member of Saeroun, Muqtada Sadr’s political party, said “we are hoping to see a national decision by all political parties that US troops leave the country immediately.” 

Al-Rikabi added his party has been asking for US troops to leave for some time, because the longer US troops stay in the country, problems will increase. He said US troop withdrawal is necessary in order to preserve Iraqi sovereignty.

Other pro-Iranian and hardline Shia parties also want all US military presence in country to end immediately.

But more moderate Shia political parties, like Dawa, want to revisit the US Iraqi agreement. They want to keep US troops in the country, but take away the immunity the US troops now enjoy. 

According to Sunni lawmaker Wahda Jumaili and Kurdish lawmaker Sarkawt Shamsulin, Sunni and Kurdish parties want the US troops to remain. They want to see a legal agreement between US and Shia militias to not target each other, and for both to only target “extremist groups.”

Iran has hoisted a red religious flag warning of a severe battle to come.

For the first time, the flag was unfurled on the great mosque of Jamkaran, a Shia pilgrimage site, in the Iranian holy city of Qom.

It calls for avenging Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, who was slain during a bloody battle in Karbala.

Hussein is a central figure in Shia Islam.

Video: Mehr

The flag’s slogan – “O’ Avengers of Hussein” – was popularized in the uprising that followed Hussein’s death.

Its resurfacing in Iran serves as an ominous signal of Iran’s expected response to the US assassination of its most powerful military commander, Qassem Soleimani.

Tehran has vowed “forceful revenge” for his killing.

The military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said Sunday that his country’s response to the killing by the United States of one its most influential commanders will certainly be a military response “against military sites.”

In an exclusive interview with CNN in Tehran, Hassan Dehghan said: “The response for sure will be military and against military sites.”

Dehghan, a former defense minister, is the main military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and is very close to him.

Read the full story here.

Iran’s leaders have promised a retaliation for the killing of the country’s top general Qasem Soleimani.

With proxy militia strewn across the Middle East, what could a response from Iran look like? Tehran has many options. Watch CNN’s Tom Foreman look at possible scenarios: 

Top US national security officials continue to defend the Trump administration’s claim that it killed Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in response to an imminent threat to American lives, but the lack of evidence provided to lawmakers and the public has fueled lingering skepticism about whether the strike was justified.

Trump has warned Iran more attacks could come soon.

President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top military officials have offered similar explanations for targeting Soleimani, citing an “imminent” threat from his plans to carry out what Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley called a “significant campaign of violence” against the US in the coming days, weeks or months.

But questions have continued to swirl in recent days about the imminence of such Iranian attacks, whether the administration fully considered the fallout from such a strike against Soleimani, and if an appropriate legal basis was established for the presidential authorization of lethal force.

Read the full story here.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif took to Twitter Sunday to slam US President Donald Trump for threatening to bomb 52 Iranian sites, including cultural sites, if Iran takes action in the aftermath of the killing of top general Qasem Soleimani.

Zarif said targeting cultural sites would be in breach of key principles of international law.

“Targeting cultural sites is a WAR CRIME,” Zarif tweeted. “Whether kicking or screaming, end of US malign presence in West Asia has begun.”

Also taking to Twitter Sunday was Iran’s Minister of Information Mohammed-Javad Azari Jahromi who described US President Donald Trump as “a terrorist in a suit.”

Trump issued the warning to Iran via Twitter Saturday. Read more about the threat here.

Mourners have taken to the streets in Iran’s western town of Ahvaz.

The bodies of Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis arrived in the city earlier.

Mourners attend the funeral ceremony in Ahvaz.

A funeral service for Soleimani will take place later on Sunday in Mashhad, at the holy site of Imam Reza Shrine. 

A man holds a picture of the killed officials.

Iran will observe three days of national mourning, paying respects to Soleimani, who was seen as a national hero and has been called a martyr by the Iranian leadership.

Mourners attend a funeral ceremony in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it is important to “de-escalate and stabilize the situation” in the Middle East in the aftermath of the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani but “understands the position that the Americans found themselves in.”

Raab said he was “not naïve” about the role of Soleimani, the Qods force or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the region – describing the general as a “regional menace” – but emphasized that “a war is in no one’s interest.”

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said "a war is in no one’s interest."

Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Raab said “the only people who would gain” from a possible war would be terrorist groups like ISIS who would try to exploit the vacuum created by any war on the ground.

He said he had spoken to Iraq’s Prime Minister Sunday morning, to the Iraqi President Saturday night, and was planning to contact Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

Raab said he is meeting next week with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as his French and German counterparts.

Raab’s boss, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has found himself under mounting criticism over his notable absence. Johnson has not issued any statements or cut short his Caribbean holiday in light of the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Hashtag #WhereIsBorisJohnson was trending on Twitter in the UK, and opposition politicians including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn criticized the PM.

Raab defended his boss, insisting he has been in constant contact with Johnson and “the Prime Minister is in charge.”

Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani was killed Friday following a US airstrike.

Here’s a recap of what we know:

Mourners surround a car carrying Qasem Soleimani's coffin on Saturday in Baghdad.

In Iraq’s capital on Saturday, thousands of people attended a funeral procession, mourning Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, as they chanted “death to America.”

Mourners wept as they walked alongside the vehicle carrying his coffin down the streets of Baghdad. Some carried signs that read, “We are all Muhandis and Soleimani.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi was among the crowd of mourners walking next to the cars carrying the coffins.

Some women carrying flags of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces — the forces al-Muhandis commanded — erupted into tears when the slain commanders were mentioned. Many mourners said the attack strengthened their resolve to expel US forces from Iraq.

“This strike killed our heroes, but it created a thousand more Hajji Soleimanis and Muhandises,” said Assifa Abbas, 50, a mother of three PMF fighters. “If Parliament doesn’t vote to expel US troops, they will see the true face of the Iraqi street.”

During Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Qasem Soleimani’s family Saturday, Soleimani’s daughter asked him: “Who will take revenge for my father?”

“Everyone will take revenge,” he replied, in a video aired by Iranian state television.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed “harsh revenge,” according to a statement on his official website.

“His pure blood was shed in the hands of the most depraved of human beings,” Khamenei said.

In a letter to the United Nations, Iran described the attack as state terrorism and an unlawful criminal act. European officials and the UN have called for de-escalation.

It was “tantamount to opening a war,” Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, told CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Friday. He said the strike had escalated a war that started when the US pulled out of a nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018.

Mourners carry the coffins of Iran's top general Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, during their funeral in Karbala, Iraq, Saturday.

Qasem Soleimani’s body is to be transferred to Iran for funeral services today in Mashhad and Monday in Tehran, Iranian state media reported.

Iran will observe three days of national mourning.