Rockets smashed again at US embassy in Baghdad, Iran abolish 2015 nuclear deal

At least three rockets landed on Sunday evening near the American embassy in the green zone in Baghdad. Eyewitnesses have reported this to the French press agency AFP while the Iranian state television is reporting tonight that Iran will no longer abide by the provisions of the 2015 nuclear deal

The rocket attacks have not yet claimed any casualties, according to medical reports. Four members of the same family were wounded when another rocket landed in a residential area near the green zone.

Since the end of October, at least 14 rocket attacks have been aimed at US positions in Iraq. The attacks have never been claimed, but Washington attributes the actions to pro-Iranian militias. After the death of Iranian General Soleimani, tensions have increased even further. The Shiite movement Hezbollah had called on Iraqi soldiers on Saturday to move away from American bases in the country before Sunday evening.

The Iranian state television issued a statement by President Hassan Rohani’s government stating that the country is no longer imposing restrictions on the enrichment, quantity of enriched uranium and research and development of its nuclear activities. The statement did not elaborate on the amount of uranium that Iran wants to enrich again.

Rockets smashed again at US embassy in Baghdad, Iran abolish 2015 nuclear deal

The 2015 nuclear deal, sets a limit on the enrichment of uranium and the number of centrifuges. The aim of the agreement, concluded between Iran and the six world powers (US, China, Russia, France, Great Britain, and Germany), was to curb the nuclear ambitions of the country in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, US President Donald Trump already decided to withdraw from the agreement unilaterally.

In response, Tehran began to violate provisions of the agreement. For example, since November, uranium has been enriched to more than the permitted 3.67 percent. The country now says it has entered the “fifth and final phase” of reducing nuclear obligations. Tehran says in the communication that cooperation with the international nuclear energy agency IAEA, which oversees nuclear activities, will continue.

Iranians say goodbye to General

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have said goodbye to the Iranian general today. After several funeral processions took place in Iraq on Saturday, the body of Soleimani was flown early this morning from Baghdad to Ahvaz, a city in southwestern Iran. Tens of thousands of people attended the first ceremony there.

Soleimanis remains were then brought to Mashhad in the northeast, the second-largest city in Iran and an important religious site. An endless procession of mourners headed for the mausoleum of Imam Reza.

Prize on head Trump

The ceremonies in Ahvaz and Mashhad are two of several ceremonies planned by the Iranian authorities in honor of Soleimani.

“We are with 80 million Iranians, if each of us puts one dollar aside, we will have 80 million dollars, and we can reward anyone who brings us the head of Trump,” said a speaker at the Mashhad ceremony, Arab channel al-Arabiya. That ceremony was also broadcast live on an Iranian television channel, the channel still writes.

Due to the large turnout in Mashhad, it took almost two hours for the funeral procession to make its way through the masses to the mausoleum of Imam Reza. In this way, there was a massive backlog in the schedule.

“Due to the glorious and intense presence of millions of people at the farewell ceremony in Mashhad (…), it is no longer possible to have the planned meeting at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran,” the Revolutionary Guard reports in a statement.

Rockets smashed again at US embassy in Baghdad, Iran abolish 2015 nuclear deal
©AFP – In Ahvaz, tens of thousands of people attended the first ceremony.

A ceremony will also take place in Tehran on Monday morning, in which the Iranian leaders will also take part. According to the official program, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, will also be present because of the crowds, various parts of the city are closed to cars.

From Tehran, the body of Soleimani then goes to Qom, the holy city in the center of Iran, where another ceremony will be organized. On Tuesday, the well-known general is finally buried in his home town of Kerman, in the southeast of the country.

Iran has announced several times since Soleimani’s death that he will take revenge for the death of the top general. US President Donald Trump warned via Twitter today about the consequences of retaliatory actions.

Source
Al-Arabiya, AFP
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