Soleimani's body arrives in Iran as Trump issues new threats

body of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike, arrived on Sunday in Iran to throngs of mourners, as President Donald Trump threatened to bomb 52 sites in Islamic Republic if Tehran retaliates by attacking Americans.

Soleimani's death on Friday in Iraq furr heightens tensions between Tehran and Washington after months of tring attacks and threats that put wider Middle East on edge.

conflict is rooted in Trump pulling out of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, an accord likely to furr unravel as Tehran is expected to anunce as early as Sunday it will break ar set of limits.

Iran has promised "harsh revenge."

Alrey, a series of rockets launched in Baghd late Saturday fell inside or near Green Zone, which houses government offices and foreign embassies, including US Embassy.

Trump wrote on Twitter afterward that US h alrey "targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing 52 American hosts taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & Iranian culture."

Trump did t identify targets but ded that y would be "HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD."

After thousands in Baghd on Saturday mourned Soleimani and ors killed in strike, authorities flew general's body to southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, according to state-run IRNA news ncy.

An hour guard stood by early Sunday as mourners carried flag-draped coffins of Soleimani and or Guard members off tarmac.

Officials brought Soleimani's body to Ahvaz, a city that was a focus of fighting during bloody, 1980-88 war between Iraq and Iran in which general slowly grew to prominence. After that war, Soleimani joined Guard's newly formed Quds, or Jersualem, Force, an expeditionary force that works with Iranian proxy forces in countries like Iraq, Leban and Yemen.

Authorities also plan to take Soleimani's body to Mashh later Sunday, as well as Tehran and Qom on Monday for public mourning processions, n onto his hometown of Kerman for burial on Tuesday.

Soleimani was architect of Iran's regional policy of mobilizing militias across Iraq, Syria and Leban, including in war against Islamic State group. He was also blamed for attacks on US troops and American allies going back deces.

Though it's unclear how or when Iran may respond, any retaliation was likely to come after three days of mourning declared in both Iran and Iraq. All eyes were on Iraq, where America and Iran have competed for influence since 2003 US-led invasion.

After airstrike early Friday, US-led coalition has scaled back operations and boosted "security and defensive measures" at bases hosting coalition forces in Iraq, a coalition official said on condition of anymity according to regulations.

Meanwhile, US has dispatched ar 3,000 troops to neighbouring Kuwait, latest in a series of deployments in recent months as standoff with Iran has worsened. Protesters held demonstrations in dozens of US cities Saturday over Trump's decisions to kill Soleimani and deploy more troops to Mideast.

In a thinly veiled threat, one of Iran-backed militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or League of Righteous, called on Iraqi security forces to stay at least a kilometer away from US bases starting Sunday night. However, US troops are invariably based in Iraqi military posts alongside local forces.

Iraq's government, which is closely allied with Iran, condemned airstrike that killed Soleimani, calling it an attack on its national sovereignty. Parliament is meeting for an emergency session Sunday, and government has come under mounting pressure to expel 5,200 American troops who are based in country to help prevent a resurgence of Islamic State group.

Also Saturday, NATO temporarily suspended all training activities in Iraq due to safety concerns, Canian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said.

US has ordered all citizens to leave Iraq and temporarily closed its embassy in Baghd, where Iran-backed militiamen and ir supporters std two days of violent protests in which y breached compound. Britain and France have warned ir citizens to avoid or strictly limit travel in Iraq.

one was hurt in embassy protests, which came in response to US airstrikes that killed 25 Iran-backed militiamen in Iraq and Syria. US blamed militia for a rocket attack that killed a US contractor in rrn Iraq.