Iran has warned of “severe revenge” and said arch-enemy the United States bore responsibility for the consequences after killing one of its top commanders, Qasem Soleimani, in a strike Friday outside Baghdad airport.
In Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “severe revenge awaits the criminals” behind the attack. He also announced three days of national mourning. “For years it was his wish to become a martyr, and finally God granted him his highest office”, Khamenei said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the commander of its Quds Force foreign operations arm had been killed by US forces in Baghdad, with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denouncing it as a “dangerous escalation”.
“The Revolutionary Guards announces that the glorious commander of Islam, haj Qasem Soleimani, following a life of servitude, was martyred in an attack by America on Baghdad airport this morning,” the Guards said.
“Two vehicles were attacked with missiles by US forces” and all 10 passengers, including Soleimani, were “martyred”, said Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Iraj Masjedi.
The Quds Force said the dead consisted of five members of Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network and five Guards — Brigadier General Hossein Pourjafari, Colonel Shahroud Mozafarinia, Major Hadi Taremi and Captain Vahid Zamanian.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened “severe revenge” for “the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with (Soleimani’s) blood”, and vowed that “God willing, his work and his path will not be stopped”.
He also declared three days of mourning. State television interrupted its regular programming to detail Soleimani’s achievements in the region, recalling the many times he had “foiled” US plans.
A black ribbon was displayed on the screen and a photo montage was shown with images of Soleimani smiling and praying.
Soleimani was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies. President Hassan Rouhani said Iran and the “free nations of the region” would take revenge on the US for “this gruesome crime”.