Beirut Street Renamed after Slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

A street in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut has been renamed after slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, according to images shared on social media.

On Sunday, images of a street sign in Beirut that read “Martyr Hajj Qassem Suleimani Street” emerged on Twitter, drawing criticism from Arab and Lebanese users.

The street was previously named “Fantasy World,” was renamed by the Ghobeiry municipality in Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area known as “dahiyeh” that has often been described as a Hezbollah stronghold.

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The street name changes by law in Lebanon must be approved by the country’s interior ministry. It is unclear whether the ministry has approved the name change in this case.

Some Arab and Lebanese users have criticized the name change, interpreting it as another sign of Iran’s influence in Lebanon.

Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force, the overseas arms of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed by a US airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport on Jan. 3.