One year since Soleimani's murder

Exactly one year ago, news broke of the assassination of the commander of the Quds forces in an attack near Baghdad airport. Soleimani was a highly prominent figure in the Persian armed forces, and this daring attack on Iran took the world by surprise.

The situation in the Middle East was once again becoming extremely tense and dangerous. It was feared that Iran would retaliate against the United States, which was behind the attack. The decision by US President Donald Trump to order the death of the powerful Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was a risky move to intimidate Iran.

The Pentagon announced the death in a drone attack on Soleimani's international airport in Baghdad and that of the vice-president of the Iraqi Shiite militias, the People's Mobilisation Forces (PMS), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. This attack provoked the mobilisation of the Iranian society that took to the streets to cry out for revenge.

The truth is that despite the many threats Iran has uttered against the United States, in the end there has been no real reprisal against the American country. The Islamic Republic's bombing of two air bases in Iraq where US troops were deployed presaged an even greater increase in violence, but this attack was muddied by the "accidental" shooting down of a Ukrainian plane.

In recent months and with the anniversary of Soleimani's death drawing ever closer, the threats between these two countries have only increased. Today, exactly one year has passed since this attack and hundreds of people have gathered in the night of Saturday to Sunday by the airport of Baghdad to demand revenge against the USA.

The gathered people, who are sympathizers of the pro-government group Multitud Popular, pro-Iranian militias and other armed factions, carried pictures of Soleimani and Muhandis, who died in an attack of a US drone, and banners with slogans against the US country.

From the same point on the airport road where the attack took place a year ago, they chanted chants against the USA and demanded the implementation of the resolution adopted by the Iraqi Parliament shortly after the selective assassination demanding the departure of the US troops from the country.

"It is an honour for us to be at the place where Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani were killed by the despicable Trump and the US occupation forces," said the People's Liberal leader Faleh al Fayad at the event.

The rally was a preview of the large demonstration called for this Sunday to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of the two leaders and which will start from Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the Iraqi capital.

Those attending the rally also called for the results of the investigation into the attack, in which another eight people were killed, to be revealed and for those responsible inside and outside Iraq to be punished.

They referred to the US action as "the airport crime" and "the murder of the victory leaders", owing to the role played by both leaders in the defeat of the Islamic state in Iraq, in which Iran supported its neighbour with military advice and Shiite militiamen.