After death of Iranian general, ‘World War 3’ trends worldwide

FILE: Soleimani receiving the Order of Zolfaghar from Ali Khamenei (Photo: Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0)

Netizens from all over the world could not stop talking about World War 3, following the death of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani who was considered as the second most powerful figure in Iran next to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Hashtags like #WWIII, #worldwar3, and Iran quickly became one of those top trending topics on Twitter as the public expressed their concern that the general’s death could spark another global conflict after Iran vowed to seek revenge.

“Severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his [Soleimani] blood and the blood of the other martyrs of last night’s incident,” Khamenei said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also said in a Tweet, “The flag of General Soleimani in defense of the country’s territorial integrity and the fight against terrorism and extremism in the region will be raised, and the path of resistance to US excesses will continue.”

Soleimani, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, was killed in a United States drone strike at the airport in Baghdad, Iraq. The attack was ordered by President Donald Trump.

In a statement, the American President claimed that Soleimani “was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel” and that the IRGC under the slain general “has targeted, injured, and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen.

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“We took action last night to stop a war.  We did not take action to start a war,” Trump said.

“I have [a] deep respect for the Iranian people.  They are remarkable people, with an incredible heritage and unlimited potential. We do not seek regime change.  However, the Iranian regime’s aggression in the region, including the use of proxy fighters to destabilize its neighbors, must end, and it must end now,” he added.

Aside from Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), was also killed.

Iran will hold three days of public mourning in honor of Soleimani.

Meanwhile, Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani as the new head of the IRGC Quds Force, saying that the group’s strategy will remain the same as during Soleimani’s leadership.