"It was one of the most beautiful days of the past nine years," he said. "Everyone was extremely cheerful."
In the days since Soleimani's assassination, Iran's leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni, have vowed revenge on the US.
Meanwhile, Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has warned the attack, which took place on Iraq's soil, was a "massive breach" of his country's sovereignty.
Read also: Syria Weekly: Syrians remember Soleimani with fear and loathing |
"Send my regards to Trump," she said. "He should have done it a long time ago."
The architect of Iran's growing footprint in the Middle East and head of the country's elite Quds Force, Soleimani helped shore up support for Syria's embattled dictator Bashar al-Assad and sent legions of foreign fighters to back the president's troops during the early days of the war.
![]() |
Under the pretext of defeating terrorists, Soleimani and his men imposed a suffocating siege on us. We could not resist | ![]() |
"Hopefully during this time the Syrian people will breathe a little," he said.
After nearly nine years of war, Assad and his allied forces hold more than two-thirds of the country. Idlib province, the northwestern enclave bordering Turkey, is the last major pocket of territory still in the hands of the opposition.
In mid-December, pro-government forces stepped up their air and ground assault on the region, forcing more than 235,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. Last week, Syrian government artillery fire reportedly killed five children and four adults at a school in the town of Samin.
"Soleimani was a war criminal, and his militia forced me out of my house," al-Saud said. "But every criminal has an end."
Idlib is home to an estimated three million civilians, roughly half of whom were displaced from government offensives in other Syrian cities like Douma, Homs and Aleppo.
"I, like most Syrians, am glad he's dead," said Muhammed Darwish, a dentist who survived two years under siege in Madaya before fleeing to Turkey.
Elizabeth Hagedorn is a freelance journalist focusing on migration and conflict with bylines in The Guardian, Middle East Eye and Public Radio International.
Follow her on Twitter: @ElizHagedorn
The New ArabComments