Iranian commander's body in hometown, US denies quitting Iraq

Iranian people carry a coffin of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, during funeral procession in Tehran, Iran January 6, 2020.

The body of a top Iranian military commander killed in a US drone strike in Iraq last week reached his hometown for burial on Tuesday as the US defense secretary denied reports that the US military was preparing to withdraw from Iraqi territory.

The death of Qassem Soleimani, who built up Tehran’s network of proxy forces across the region, has prompted mass mourning in Iran and led to renewed Iranian threats to drive U.S. troops from Iraq, where Tehran has vied with Washington for influence.