THE killing of Ayatollah Abbas Ali Soleimani at a bank in northern Iran shocked the wider public at a time when months of unrest have rocked the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Soleimani was one of the 88 members of the powerful Assembly of Experts which appoints the Supreme Leader.
He had also been the imam who led the weekly Friday prayers in the cities of Kashan and Zahedan.
Footage of the senior Iranian Shia Muslim cleric being shot by a gunman in broad daylight has been circulating on social media.
In the video, the 75-year-old clergyman was seen visiting a branch of Bank Belli in Babolsar, in Mazandaran province, on Wednesday while dressed in a traditional dark robe and white turban.
Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a blue and white uniform and carrying a gun walked toward him before firing a series of shots at his back.
The attacker was immediately disarmed and arrested while the motive of the murder is still unclear.
The gunman was identified as a private security guard employed to protect the bank.
Ayatollah Soleimani was rushed to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The incident happened at a time of massive demonstrations nationwide and protesters targeting clerics in recent months.
The Interior Ministry said it would launch a special investigation into the slaying of the senior cleric.
