Iran threatens ‘revenge’ killing of Soleimani, dubbed ‘world’s number one terrorist’ by Trump

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The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has threatened retaliation for the U.S. assassination of a revered military figure, after Tehran vehemently denied it was plotting to kill an American ambassador as payback for the death of Lt. General Qasem Soleimani.

File photo: General Qassem Soleimani , the slain head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards elite the Quds Force, was described by the intelligence community as the “most powerful operative in the Middle East and the sole Iranian authority on Iraq.”

The drone strike outside Baghdad airport on January 3 that killed Soleimani, who was the head of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, sparked outrage in the Islamic republic as well as global fears of reprisals from the Islamic republic.

At the time, President Donald Trump justified the assassination by saying he was the “world’s number one terrorist” as well as “the mass murderer of American troops.”

However there were question marks over Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s assertion that the killing was in response to “imminent threats to American lives” especially after Trump officials rowed back on claims they were acting on a specific threat.

Citing intelligence officials, Politico reported on Monday that Tehran was planning to avenge the death by assassinating the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, who is close to the U.S. president.

Iran is still looking to avenge the death of Qassem Soleimani, officials said and is reportedly plotting to kill the ambassador to South Africa Lana Marks according to Intelligence reports , but

Trump tweeted that any attack “will be met with an attack on Iran that will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude.” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Sa’eid Khatibzadeh dismissed the report as “biased and agenda-driven” and it was intended “an Iranophobic atmosphere,” Pars Today reported.

However IRGC head General Hossein Salami said it would not be Marks who would be targeted but those who were responsible for the drone attack that killed Soleimani.

“Mr. Trump! Our revenge for martyrdom of our great general is obvious, serious, and real,” his statement said on the IRCG website, according to Radio Free Europe.

“We will hit those who had direct and indirect roles. You should know that everybody who had a role in the event will be hit, and this is a serious message. We do prove everything in practice.” Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department for comment.

After January’s drone strike, which also killed two Iraqi militia officials, Iran launched a ballistic-missile attack targeting U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

In the following months, Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Tehran, which faces economic pressure due to U.S. sanctions. In 2018, Trump pulled the U.S. out of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran continues to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium but insists its nuclear program is not aimed at developing weapons.

NEWSWEEK

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2 responses to “Iran threatens ‘revenge’ killing of Soleimani, dubbed ‘world’s number one terrorist’ by Trump”

  1. I guess Iran wants Trump to win the elections. Such an attack against him is bound to increase his popularity

    1. Es gibt kein Normalität mehr Avatar
      Es gibt kein Normalität mehr

      Letter containing Ricin poison addressed to Trump at White House, and w will never know who was behind it.
      Th White House and other federal buildings have been the target of ricin packages in the past.

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