Iran starts burial in a cemetery in his hometown of Kerman after a delay prompted by a stampede in the city

Dozens of people have been killed in the Iranian city of Kerman during the funeral procession for Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander who was assassinated last week in an air strike in Baghdad by the United States.

The assassination of Soleimani triggered a dramatic escalation of tensions in the region and marked the most significant confrontation between the United States and Iran in recent years.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei warned that "a harsh retaliation is waiting", while US President Donald Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites "very hard" if Tehran attacked US citizens or assets.