Karbala tribe holds memorial for slain IRGC commander Hossein Salami, citing shared lineage

KARBALA — Members of the Salamat tribe in Karbala held a memorial Tuesday for Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last week and described by tribal leaders as a relative through shared lineage between Salamat families in Iraq and Iran.

The one-day service, held at Imam Muhammad Al-Jawad Hall in the Al-Usra neighborhood, drew tribal elders and delegations from multiple governorates. Attendees offered condolences and expressed pride in Salami’s ties to the tribe.

“Since we heard the news of the assassination of our cousin Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guard, the Salamat tribes in Iraq took the initiative to hold a memorial for his soul in Karbala,” said tribal leader Qusay Wanan Al-Salami. “We consider him our pride, a symbol of honor, and he was assassinated by global Zionism.”

The Salamat tribe traces its roots through Iraq and Iran’s Ahvaz region. Salami’s claimed lineage to the Ahvaz branch prompted the tribute.

“We offer condolences to the Islamic nation for the martyrdom of one of its great leaders,” said elder Redha Al-Salloum Al-Salami. “We are proud that Hossein Salami is from our tribe.”

Tribal member Abu Sattar Al-Salami called him “a martyr of the nation,” while Athir Mohammed Hassan said, “The memorial wasn’t limited to Karbala—it extended throughout Iraq. The martyr does not belong only to the Salamat; he is a martyr of the nation. We are in the midst of a decisive battle, with one enemy and one axis.”