Dozens killed in stampede at slain Iranian general’s funeral

Bloomberg

Three dozen mourners were crushed to death in a stampede at the funeral for a powerful Iranian general slain in a US drone strike.
Qassem Soleimani’s exploits in conflicts from Syria to Yemen made him a national hero, and hundreds of thousands have turned out this week as his funeral procession stopped in various cities, first in Iraq, where he was killed, and later Iran.
But the masses that met the cortege ahead of his burial overwhelmed his southeastern hometown, and 35 people were killed and 48 injured, state TV reported on Tuesday.
The funeral was postponed indefinitely, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
The tragedy unfolded as Iran served notice that it was assessing 13 scenarios for retaliation.
“Even if the weakest of these scenarios gains a consensus, its implementation can be a historic nightmare for the Americans,” Ali Shamkhani, the head of Iran’s national security council, was cited as saying by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency. “For now, for intelligence reasons, we cannot provide more information to the media.”
Iranian officials have previously said that US forces in the region will be targets, and the Iranian parliament on Tuesday designated the Pentagon and affiliated companies as terrorists. The US issued a warning to shipping in the Middle East over the possibility of Iranian action against US maritime interests, the Associated Press reported, citing a statement.
The menacing comments from Shamkhani briefly roiled markets. But stocks in Europe and Asia later jumped, and US equity futures advanced as investors set aside fears about escalating tensions in the Middle East following the deadly drone strike in Baghdad last week.

Extended Influence
The general directed the foreign operations of Iran’s military, and was instrumental in extending Tehran’s influence across the Middle East through a network of proxy militias.
His death has rippled through the region, with the US and its allies on alert for retaliation and questions swirling about the continued US military presence in Iraq, deployed there to combat IS and serve as a counterweight against Iran’s formidable influence.
A German lawmaker, Roderich Kiesewetter, said some German troops would temporarily be withdrawn from Iraq, and in Lebanon, the US embassy tightened security in anticipation of retribution, according to a local news report.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, said in Tehran on Tuesday that the US would suffer consequences for the killing of Soleimani “at a time and place of Iran’s choosing.”
The countdown has begun for the US exit from the Middle East, he said, warning of a multi-generational war should the region continue to rely on the US presence.