Hours after the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard's foreign operations branch, Qassem Suleimani, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad, the gravity of the event began to come to fruition on Twitter.
The ominous "WWIII" hashtag quickly rose near the top of global Twitter trends with more than 200,000 tweets, and was followed by the phrase 'World War 3' - which also trended.
It did not, however, take the top spot on Twitter trends after Suleimani's death. "Iran" received more than 2 million mentions in tweets.
The sheer magnitude of Suleimani's assassination was immediate and piqued the curiosity of Middle East experts, journalists and analysts.
"...killing the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force is akin to Tehran murdering the head of the CIA or the Mossad on foreign soil," wrote Jack Moore, deputy foreign editor of The National.
"His death is an escalation that has surely thrown out the diplomatic and economic tit-for-tat that Tehran has been engaged in since the US president withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018," Moore added, noting the monumental killing of the Iranian spy chief.
Tensions between the US and Iran have risen when an Iranian-backed militia breached the US embassy's compound in Baghdad.
Despite the group withdrawing from the embassy after 24-hours, the deadly US strike on Suleimani came as a huge surprise, ratcheting up tensions given the unexpected nature of the strike.
The US claimed Suleimani was plotting attacks that could have endangered US citizens and military personnel around.
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In pictures: Funeral procession held for Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
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Mourners gesture as they attend the funeral of Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. Reuters -
Iraqi Honor Guard perform as they attend the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Suleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. Reuters -
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi attends the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Suleimani, head of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. Reuters -
Mourners gesture as they attend the funeral of Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. Reuters -
Mohammed al-Tabatabai (centre), deputy secretary general of the Asaib Ahl Al Haq faction, attends the funeral of Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis and Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani, in Kadhimiya, a Shiite pilgrimage district of Baghdad. AFP -
People gather at the funeral of Qassem Suleimani and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters -
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces hold a funeral for the Iranian Major-General Qassem Suleimani, top commander of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. Reuters -
Mourners wave the national flag and the Hashed al-Shaabi flag as they carry the portrait of Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis during a funeral procession, for Muhandis and Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani, in Kadhimiya, a Shiite pilgrimage district of Baghdad. AFP -
Kataib Hezbollah Iraqi militia gather ahead of the funeral of the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. Reuters -
A woman holds the picture of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Suleimani ahead of the funeral in Baghdad. Reuters -
People gather at the funeral of Qassem Suleimani and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad, Iraq. Reuters -
Former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki attends the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, top commander of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. REUTERS -
Head of the Popular Mobilization forces Faleh al-Fayyad (R) attends the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. REUTERS -
Mourners react as they attend the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. REUTERS -
Mourners attend the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad. REUTERS -
Mourners surround a car carrying the coffin of Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis during a funeral procession, for him and nine others, in Baghdad's district of al-Jadriya, near the high-security Green Zone. AFP
