Spokesman of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said on Friday that the delight of Americans and Zionists over assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani will not last long, reassuring that the martyred commander will be revenged. RNA - “The IRGC, the people and the Resistance Front from all four corners of the Islamic world will take revenge for the blood of this glorious martyr who bore in mind nothing but glory and honor of the Iranian people and the Islamic nation, and the liberation of Jerusalem al-Quds,” Brigadier General Sharif said on Friday.
He added that the late commander used to take a lot of risks in different operations in the past 40 years, in fighting against the enemies of Iran and Islam, and was wounded many times, so much so that he was described as a live martyr by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
“His cause is quite known and his teachings and initiatives for the Resistance Front in the course of his auspicious lifetime are quite clear and explicit,” he added.
Sharif pledged that the cheers of Americans and Zionists will not last long as the IRGC, the people and members of the Resistance Front in all four corners of the Islamic World will be seeking his revenge.
“assuredly we will take revenge,” he vowed.
IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by US aircraft at Baghdad International Airport early Friday morning.
"General Qassem Soleimani has been martyred by the US helicopters after lifetime efforts," the IRGC said in a statement early Friday morning.
The airstrike also martyred Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashad al-Shabi. The PMF media arm said the two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
A PMF official said seven people were martyred by missiles fired by the US helicopters at Baghdad International Airport.
He said the dead included the PMF airport protocol officer, Mohammed Reda.
The Pentagon confirmed the attack in a statement.
The attack came amid tensions that started by the US attack on PMF units that killed 28 Iraqi popular forces. A day later, Iraqi people attacked the US embassy in Baghdad. On Wednesday President Donald Trump ordered about 750 US soldiers deployed to the Middle East.
US officials earlier suggested they were to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.
The developments also represent a major downturn in Iraq-US relations that could further undermine US influence in the region and American troops in Iraq and weaken Washington’s hand in its pressure campaign against Iran.
US President Donald Trump was vacationing on his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, but sent out a tweet of an American flag.
The attack represents a dramatic escalation by the US toward Iran after months of tensions. The tensions take root in Trump’s decision in May 2018 to withdraw the US from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, struck under his predecessor.
847/940