Armed Forces Spokesman:

World Pushed to Point of No Return by US Assassination of General Soleimani

Spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said Washington took an "irreversible" step by assassinating Commander of the IRGC Qods Force Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and should wait for a harsh revenge.

News ID: 448378

Date: 05 January 2020 - 11:54

RNA - “Americans have taken an irreversible step," General Shekarchi said on Saturday.

Iran will avoid taking any hasty action but will take a tough revenge from the US, as the Iranian and regional nations besides the Leader of the Islamic Republic desire, he added.

It is the Islamic Republic’s right to respond to assassination of General Soleimani by the US and will do that for sure, General Shekarchi underscored.

“In case of (Iran-US) war or any confrontation, Americans will suffer severe damage and if they do any madness, Iran’s response would be tougher,” he said.

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.

A PMF official said seven people were martyred by missiles fired by the US drone 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