'Bitter' plane tragedy should not cloud Soleimani's 'sacrifice': Khamenei

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urges national unity after unrest over plane disaster

DUBAI/ TEHRAN: Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called the accidential downing of a Ukrainian airliner a "bitter" tragedy but said it should not overshadow the "sacrifice" of a top commander killed in a US drone strike.

"The plane crash was a bitter accident, it burned through our heart," Khamenei said. "But some tried to... portray it in a way to forget the great martyrdom and sacrifice of Major General Qasem Soleiman."

Soleimani was the head of the foreign operations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Speaking during his first Friday prayers sermon since 2012, at a time when Iran is under pressure at home and abroad, Khamenei also said steps should be taken to prevent incidents like the "tragic" downing of the Ukraine International Airlines plane on January 11, in which 176 people died.

He also urged national unity and a high turnout in a February election, after protests erupted following the military's admission that it had shot down an airliner by mistake during a confrontation with the United States.