Reuters, DUBAIIran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday led vast crowds in prayers in Tehran at the funeral of slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, publicly weeping for the general killed by a US drone strike. Khamenei’s voice cracked with emotion as he said prayers, forcing him to pause, state television showed. Soleimani’s successor, General Esmail Ghaani, stood near Khamenei’s side, as did Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and other top leaders in the Islamic Republic. The vast procession, which television footage showed blocking off entire streets of the capital, began at Tehran University and moved towards Azadi Square (Freedom Square). Ghaani made his own threat in an interview with Iranian state television aired yesterday.
