Former commander Soleimani sought stability - Iran president

Former Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on Jan. 3 in Baghdad, had sought to bring stability to the region, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday in a speech broadcast live on state TV.

"Commander Soleimani was a man who was pursuing stability and calm in the region," Rouhani said. "If commander Soleimani wanted to kill American generals it would have been very, very easy for him, in Afghanistan, Iraq and any other place. He never did that."