Top Iranian officials threatened the U.S. with “crushing revenge” after an airstrike at Baghdad’s international airport Thursday killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, was also killed in the strike, along with five others, according to Iraqi officials.
In response to the attack, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami vowed to take “crushing revenge” for the assassination of Soleimani, Reuters reported, citing the Iranian state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
“A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimani’s unjust assassination,” Hatami said. “We will take revenge from all those involved and responsible for his assassination.”
The Pentagon confirmed its role in the airstrike that killed Soleimani in a statement on Thursday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, tweeted, “The US’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.”
“The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism,” he added.
The airstrike came amid tensions with the United States after a New Year’s Eve attack by Iran-backed militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. After the two-day embassy attack ended Wednesday, President Donald Trump ordered about 750 U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East, The Associated Press reported.
The breach at the embassy followed U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia in Iraq.
The U.S. military said the strikes were in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that the U.S. blamed on the militia.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, mocked Trump in a tweet following the U.S. president’s announcement that the embassy was safe on Wednesday.
“That guy has tweeted that we see Iran responsible for the events in Baghdad & we will respond to Iran. 1st: You can’t do anything. 2nd: If you were logical —which you’re not— you’d see that your crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan… have made nations hate you,” Khamenei tweeted.
In a series of tweets following Soleimani’s death, Khamenei declared three days of mourning and said that “his efforts & path won’t be stopped by his martyrdom.”
“The loss of our dear General is bitter,” he tweeted.
“The continuing fight & ultimate victory will be more bitter for the murderers & criminals.”
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