Iran cried out for “harsh retaliation” and revenge on Friday after a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport killed Tehran’s top general, with one adviser to Iran’s supreme leader threatening U.S. troops in the Middle East with immediate consequences, saying “this is the time to clear the region from these insidious beasts.”
As Breitbart News reported, the U.S. military, at the direction of President Donald Trump, killed Iran’s most significant military figure, Qassem Soleimani, in airstrikes early Friday morning in a huge blow to the Islamic Republic.
The Pentagon confirmed in a statement it took out the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force leader, as well as the commander of Iranian-controlled Shia militia forces in Iraq, Syria, and around the world.
The Defense Department said Soleimani, “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” It also accused Soleimani of approving the orchestrated violent protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier this week.
Trump used Twitter to send his message of confirmation of success in visual form:
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned a “harsh retaliation is waiting” for the U.S. after the airstrike, calling Soleimani the “international face of resistance.” Khamenei declared three days of public mourning for the general’s death.
In a letter to the Iranian nation, Khamenei wrote: “The great revenge awaits the criminals whose filthy hands are dirtied with his blood and the blood of the other martyrs in last night’s incident. The Martyr Soleimani was a persona who fought in the global arena, and all those who support the struggle demand to avenge his blood.” He then expanded on his theme of bloody revenge:
All of the friends, and obviously enemies, must know that the activities in the jihad will continue doubled and redoubled, and that the final victory will belong to the mujahideen who followed this blessed path. The loss of our dear leader, whose life was sacrificed (in jihad) is bitter for us, but the continuation of the fight and the true and final success will be extremely bitter for the murderers and criminals.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani added his voice, saying: “Soleimani’s martyr’s death will make Iran more determined in its opposition to U.S. imperialism, and in the protection of Islamic values.”
“Without a doubt, Iran and other peace-loving countries in the area will take revenge,” he promised.
Iran summoned the Swiss charges d’affaires, who represents U.S. interests in Tehran, to protest the killing. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the strike “an act of state terrorism and violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, AP reports an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader is threatening U.S. troops in the Middle East, saying “this is the time to clear the region from these insidious beasts.”
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami mades the comment while leading Friday prayers in Tehran, just hours after the U.S. airstrike.
The hardliner Khatami said Americans will never enjoy peace of mind again after the killing of Soleimani. The cleric intoned: “I am telling Americans, especially Trump, we will take a revenge that will change their daylight into a nighttime darkness.”