Crowds gather in Iran to mourn military leader killed by US airstrike

Photo taken from a memorial ceremony in Dahiyeh, the southern suburb of Beirut. CNN

Supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have gathered for a memorial rally in Beirut.

The message coming from the angry crowd is clear: They expect a war.

There's a sense of focused energy at this gathering. Lebanese Hezbollah has received support from Iran and the men here consider Qasem Soleimani to be one of their key leaders. Some of the women are dressed in black, carrying Soleimani's portraits.

They expect revenge and conflicts to be ahead. Many in the crowd are wearing yellow headbands with the words "Death to Americans" written on them.

Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Lebanese Hezbollah, addressed the rally on Sunday, promising a revenge.

He said the deaths of Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis marked “the beginning of a new phase and a new history, not just for Iran or Iraq but for the entire region.”

More context: Lebanese Hezbollah has long been in a state of conflict with Israel and many are concerned there may be flash points. A spark of conflict between the two sides could end in a catastrophe.

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