A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps warned that Iran has spotted 35 US targets in the region as well as Tel Aviv for possible attacks in response to the Friday assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani. RNA - “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there ... vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since a long time ago ... some 35 US targets in the region as well as Tel Aviv are within our reach," Gholamali Abuhamzeh said on Saturday.
The commander added that Tehran reserves the right to retaliate against the US for the assassination of General Soleimani.
IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami said on Saturday Iran's reprisal for the US Friday terror attack on General Soleimani will include strategic operations to be carried out in a vast theater with determining outcomes and throughout time.
"The assassination of martyred General Qassem Soleimani will be followed by a strategic revenge which will definitely put an end to the US presence in the region," the IRGC top commander vowed in remarks to the state-run TV.
Gen. Salami said the Friday terror attack will give birth to "a new energy in a vast geography that will fire at will with determination for severe revenge".
"This act of reprisal will come in a vast geography throughout time and with determining impacts," he added.
The IRGC commander said the Americans have triggered the end of their presence in the region by assassinating Gen. Soleimani, vowing that Iran would not stop short of anything to materialize this goal.
"This statement should come in written since everyone will see its realization," he added.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was martyred in a targeted assassination attack by the US drones at Baghdad International Airport early on Friday morning.
General Qassem Soleimani has been martyred by the US aircraft 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-Shaabi. The PMF media arm said the two were martyred in an American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi militaries were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
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.
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