An emotional Khamenei shows Iran general's death is personal

Here is the excerpt from the article! OMG

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When pinning the medal on Soleimani, the Iranian leader said he hoped God would reward the general and help him live a blissful life that ends with martyrdom.

“Of course not any time soon,” Khamenei said, adding the “Islamic Republic needs him for years to come.”

To Soleimani, Khamenei was a venerated spiritual figure whom he referred to as his “dear and honorable leader.” In 2015, Soleimani was quoted saying: “I ask God to sacrifice my life for you.”

His funeral processions have been spread over several days and cities, marking the first time Iran has ever honored a single man with a multi-city ceremony. Not even Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic, received such a processional with his death in 1989.