theguardian | Iran has already vowed to respond to a killing it described as an act of
war. The country’s ambassador to the UN said on Saturday that it would not go unanswered. “There will be harsh revenge,” Majid Takht Ravanchi told CNN. “The time, the place, will be decided by Iran.”
The US Department of Homeland Security said the response could include cyber-attacks.
More conventional targets might include US installations, diplomatic
and military personnel, or oil facilities. US citizens have been warned
to leave Iraq.
Billboards with Suleimani’s instantly recognisable face appeared on
major streets in Iran overnight, many bearing a warning from the supreme
leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that “harsh revenge” awaits the US.
The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, also said Washington did not
realise what a great mistake it had made, during a visit to pay
condolences to the general’s family. US citizens would be feeling the
impact for years to come, he said.
The Baghdad funeral procession began at the Imam Kadhim shrine, one of the most revered sites in Shia Islam.
Mohammed Fadl, a mourner dressed in black, said he had come out in a
show of loyalty and defiance. “It is a painful strike, but it will not
shake us,” he said.
Two helicopters hovered over the crowd of mourners, who included
Iraq’s prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, and leaders of Iran-backed
militias.
Iran’s envoy to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, told Iranian state media that
Abdul-Mahdi had insisted on holding a public funeral for Suleimani and
al-Muhandis in Baghdad.
