TEHRAN: Ceremonies across Iran marked the anniversary of the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the Quds Force commander killed by a U.S. strike in Iraq on January 3, 2020. Gatherings in cities, including Tehran, drew citizens and officials to honor Soleimani and others who fought against terrorism.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the Tehran ceremony took place at the Grand Mosalla Mosque, where participants carried images of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi commander killed in the same attack. Attendees also displayed pictures of resistance figures like Lebanon's Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Palestine's Hamas leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Yayha Sinwar, assassinated by Israel in recent months.

Yemen's Ambassador to Tehran, Ibrahim Mohammad al-Deilami, addressed the gathering, asserting that the Resistance Axis remains committed despite Israeli actions. He praised Iran for supporting Palestinians in their fight against Israeli occupation.

In Iraq, a parallel ceremony took place in Najaf, where Iran's Supreme Leader's Representative to Iraq, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini, urged the continuation of the martyrs' legacy. He criticized Israel for its actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, calling for accountability for war crimes against civilians.