TEHRAN: Iran will avenge the US killing of its top commander General QasemSoleimani by targeting only those involved, in an “honourable” retaliation,Tehran’s revolutionary guards chief said Saturday.
Soleimani, who headed the Guards elite Qods Force, was killed in anAmerican air strike near Baghdad airport in January.
A US media report, quoting unnamed officials, said Iran plans inretaliation to assassinate the American ambassador to South Africa, LanaMarks, before the presidential election in November.
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran this week with a “thousand timesstronger” response in case of any attack on his country, following thereport.
South Africa’s state security agency said Friday it had found no evidenceof such a plot against Marks.
Guards’ chief Major General Hossein Salami retorted to the US president.
“Mr Trump, our revenge for the martyrdom of our great commander is certain,serious and real, but we are honourable and take revenge with fairness andjustice,” he said, quoted by the Guard’s official website Sepahnews.
“You think we would strike at a woman ambassador to South Africa for theblood of our martyr brother? We will target those who were directly orindirectly involved in the martyrdom of this great man,” he said.
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“You should know, that we will target whoever was involved … and this isa serious message.”
Soleimani was killed in an drone air strike, alongside a top Iraqicommander. Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.
Days later, Iran launched a volley of missiles at Iraqi bases housing USand other coalition troops, but Trump refrained from any further militaryresponse.
Relations between Washington and Tehran have been tense ever since theIslamic revolution of 1979.
They have deteriorated sharply since Trump unilaterally pulled out of alandmark international nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and reimposedcrippling sanctions. – APP/AFP
