(Bloomberg) — At least 35 people died and 48 were injured in a stampede at the funeral for Qassem Soleimani, the influential Iranian commander killed in a U.S. drone strike last week, state TV reported. The burial in Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman in southeastern Iran was postponed indefinitely.The deaths will increase anger still further in Iran over the assassination of Soleimani, who was in charge of the nation’s foreign military operations. A top official said authorities are assessing 13 retaliation scenarios. Even the weakest of those options would be a “historic nightmare” for the U.S., Ali Shamkhani, the head of Iran’s national security council, was quoted as saying by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.Soleimani’s death has rippled through the region, with the U.S. and its allies on alert for retaliation and questions swirling about the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq, deployed there to combat Islamic State and serve as a counterweight against Iran’s formidable influence.Iran’s top diplomat said the countdown had begun for the U.S.’s exit from the Middle East. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned on Tuesday in Tehran of a war that would last for generations if the region continued to rely on America’s presence.Key Developments:U.S. denies Iraq exit after errant letterIranian threat ends upbeat start for marketsIran’s parliament passes a bill designating Pentagon as “terrorists”Here’s the latest. All times are Dubai local time:Stampede Reported at Soleimani’s Funeral (1:20 p.m.)A stampede erupted at the funeral procession and an unspecified number of people have been killed or injured, AP reported, citing Iranian state TV. The head of Iran’s emergency medical services, Pirhossein Koulivand, was cited for the information.Hossein Salami, the leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, threatened at the funeral to “set ablaze” places supported by the U.S., AP reported.U.S. Futures Pare Gain on Iran’s Warning of Retaliation (11:45 a.m.)An upbeat start to trading on Tuesday faded as a semi-official news organization in Iran said the country is assessing scenarios for its response to Soleimani’s killing. U.S. equity futures pared gains, while Treasuries and gold reversed declines.Earlier, stocks posted strong gains across Asia amid a general easing of concern about the situation in the Middle East.Shamkhani Says Iran’s Response Will Be ‘Historic Nightmare’ for U.S. (11:30 a.m.)“Even if the weakest of these scenarios gains a consensus, the implementation of it can be a historic nightmare for the Americans,” Ali Shamkhani, head of Iran’s national security council, is cited as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency. “For now, for intelligence reasons, we cannot provide more information to the media,” he says.Iran is assessing 13 scenarios for retaliation, Shamkhani was cited as saying. “The entirety of the resistance forces will retaliate” for Soleimani’s killing, he says.Zarif Says He’ll Attend Davos (11 a.m.)Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported, citing organizers of the meeting. A spokesman for the event, which will be held from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24, wasn’t immediately available to comment. The news comes after Zarif was denied a visa to travel to New York for meetings at the United Nations, according to a person familiar with the matter on Monday evening. The person said the U.S. had to take certain precautions after Soleimani’s killing.As part of its agreement to host the UN headquarters, the U.S. is obligated to approve visas for official travel to the global body.The U.S. and Iranian missions to the UN didn’t immediately reply to questions about the status of the visa request.Zarif Says Regional War Could Drag On ‘for Generations’ (10:55 a.m.)Speaking in Tehran, Zarif said the Middle East will have to deal with war “for generations” if it relies on the U.S.The countdown has begun for America’s exit from the region, he said.Germany to Temporarily Withdraw Some Troops (10:45 a.m.)Germany will temporarily move some troops from Iraq who were taking part in a training mission there, according to a lawmaker from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party.Of Germany’s 120 soldiers in Iraq, between 30 and 40 will transfer to Jordan, CDU lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio. The mission will continue, although it has been suspended for the time being, Kiesewetter added.“Of course, if the Iraqi government decides that all foreign troops should withdraw it would affect the training mission and have grave consequences for the fight against IS,” Kiesewetter said. “We would be well advised to make it clear to the Iraqi government what it would mean if 67 states withdrew from the whole region.”U.S. Embassy in Lebanon Tightens Security (10:45 a.m.)The U.S. embassy in Beirut is waiting for security backup from American military forces in Italy in anticipation that Iran will retaliate for the killing of its most powerful general, the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported.It’s unclear whether the backup will arrive by air or sea, an unidentified military official familiar with the matter told the London-based newspaper.U.S. Forces Designated as “Terrorists” by Iranian Lawmakers (10:30 a.m.)Parliament in Tehran passed a bill in retaliation to U.S. actions, according to ICANA, the legislative body’s official news service.Under the legislation, which expands a previous bill that blacklisted U.S. Central Command, “all members of the Pentagon and related companies, as well as actors and commanders involved in the martyrdom of Qassem Soleimani, are designated in the list of terror groups.”Earlier:Trump Vows Sanctions on Ally Iraq, Toughens Rhetoric on Iran (1)Europeans Scramble to Work Out What They Can Do About Iran (2)Forwards Traders Raise Speculative Bets Against Gulf CurrenciesTrump Threat to Attack Iran’s Cultural Treasures Spurs BacklashIran Says Not Bound by Nukes Deal in New Soleimani Fallout (4)–With assistance from Arsalan Shahla, Richard Bravo, Nikos Chrysoloras, David Wainer, Laura Litvan and Tony Capaccio.To contact the reporter on this story: Benjamin Harvey in Dubai at [email protected] contact the editors responsible for this story: Bill Faries at [email protected], ;Lin Noueihed at [email protected], Mark Williams, Paul AbelskyFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
