Iran’s Raeisi: Revenge for assassination of General Soleimani ‘definitive’

Raeisi made the remarks in a mass ceremony held at the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in Tehran on Tuesday to pay tribute to General Soleimani and his companions, who were assassinated in a US drone strike near the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.

“The Americans should know that we will not pass over the blood of Martyr Soleimani,” Raeisi told the gathering. “Allow me to announce on behalf of all of you that we have not forgotten the blood of Martyr Soleimani and will not do so, and they should know that revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani is certain, and we will not let the assassins and perpetrators have a restful sleep.”

Referring to the United States and Islamic Revolution’s enemies, Raeisi said, “Just as General Soleimani stood up against your tyranny, excessive demands, domination and arrogance, and created resistance in the region, our beloved youths will stand today against you until the end in the shadow of the high spirit of Martyr Soleimani.”

The Iranian president stressed that General Soleimani thrashed the US hegemony across the world, noting that the “domineering regime” is bent on robbing the nations and youths of their identities so that its own identity will prevail.

Raeisi said the late commander was both an “identity-generator element,” and a “reviver of Islamic identity” in the region.

‘Symbol of fight against terrorism’

Raeisi commended General Soleimani as a symbol of fight against terrorism and world arrogance, saying he managed to expose the myth of invincibility of the United States.

Raieisi said commemorating the anti-terror icon sends a message of hope to the entire freedom seekers across the world, stressing that General Soleimani was a unifying force among the Iranian society before and after his demise and is now dear to the heart of millions of people around the globe.

Millions of people in Iran and across the world marked on Tuesday the third martyrdom anniversary of the top anti-terror commander, paying tribute to the sacrifices he made in foiling western plots and liberating vast swathes of the West Asia’s territory from the clutches of Takfiri terrorist groups.

The US administration, under then-president Donald Trump, assassinated General Soleimani, former commander of the IRGC Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq’s popular mobilization units, in a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.

Both commanders were admired by Muslim nations for eliminating the US-sponsored Daesh terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

The US assassination drew a wave of condemnation from officials and movements throughout the world and triggered huge public protests across the region, with Iraqi lawmakers approving a bill two days after the attack demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country.

On January 8, 2020, the IRGC targeted the US-run Ain al-Asad base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar with a wave of missile attacks in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.

According to the Pentagon, more than 100 American forces suffered “traumatic brain injuries” during the counterstrike on the base. The IRGC, however, says Washington uses the term to mask the number of Americans killed during the retaliation.

Iran has described the missile attack on Ain al-Assad as a “first slap.”