Iran general replacing Soleimani vows revenge for US killing

An Iranian general who replaced leer killed by a U.S. airstrike in Baghd vowed in remarks aired Monday to take revenge as Tehran abandoned remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in response to slaying.

Esmail Ghaani's threat comes as blowback over U.S. killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Separately, Iraq’s parliament has called for expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil.

three developments could bring Iran closer to building an atomic bomb, set off a proxy or military attack launched by Tehran against America and enable Islamic State group to st a comeback in Iraq, making Middle East a far more dangerous and unstable place.

ding to tensions, President Donald Trump threatened to demand billions of dollars in compensation from Iraq or impose “sanctions like y’ve never seen before” if it goes through with expelling U.S. troops.

Ghaani me his remarks in an interview with Iranian state television aired Monday. "God almighty has promised to get his revenge, and God is main avenger. Certainly actions will be taken," he said.

Ghaani w serves as he of Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, an expeditionary arm of paramilitary organization answerable only to Iran's Supreme Leer Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As Soleimani's longtime deputy, Ghaani has been sanctioned by U.S. since 2012 for his work funding its operations around world, including its work with proxies in Iraq, Leban and Yemen.

Those proxies likely will be involved in any operation targeting U.S. interests in Mideast or elsewhere in world.

Alrey, U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned Americans “of heightened risk of missile and drone attacks.” In Leban,

"We promise to continue down martyr Soleimani's path as firmly as before with help of God, and in return for his martyrdom we aim to get rid of America from region," Ghaani said.

On nuclear deal, Iranian state television cited Sunday a statement by President Hassan Rouhani’s ministration saying country would t observe nuclear deal’s restrictions on fuel enrichment, on size of its enriched uranium stockpile and on its research and development activities.

“ Islamic Republic of Iran longer faces any limitations in operations,” a state TV brocaster said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson specifically urged Iran to “withdraw all measures” t in line with 2015 agreement that was intended to stop Tehran from pursuing its atomic weapons program.

Iran insisted that it remains open to negotiations with European partners over its nuclear program. And it did t back off from earlier promises that it wouldn’t seek a nuclear weapon.

However, anuncement represents clearest nuclear proliferation threat yet me by Iran since Trump unilaterally withdrew from accord in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. It furr raises regional tensions, as Iran’s longtime foe Israel has promised never to allow Iran to produce an atomic bomb.

Iran did t elaborate on what levels it would immediately reach in its program.Tehran has alrey broken some of deal’s limits as part of a step-by-step pressure campaign to get sanctions relief.

While it does t possess uranium enriched to weapons-gre levels of 90%, any push forward narrows estimated one-year “breakout time” needed for it to have eugh material to build a nuclear weapon if it chose to do so.

International Atomic Energy ncy, United Nations watchdog observing Iran’s program, did t respond to a request for comment. However, Iran said that its cooperation with IAEA “will continue as before.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi earlier told journalists that Soleimani’s killing would prompt Iranian officials to take a bigger step away from nuclear deal.

“In world of politics, all developments are interconnected,” Mousavi said.

Soleimani’s killing has escalated crisis between Tehran and Washington after months of back-and-forth attacks and threats that have put wider Middle East on edge. Iran has promised “harsh revenge” for U.S. attack, while

He doubled down on that threat Sunday, dismissing warnings that targeting cultural sites could be a war crime under international law.

“y’re allowed to kill our people. y’re allowed to torture and maim our people. y’re allowed to use roside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re t allowed to touch ir cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way,” Trump told reporters.

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of mourners accompanied coffin carrying Soleimani's remains in Iranian cities of Ahvaz and Mashh. A similar procession was expected in Qom and Tehran on Monday. Tens of thousands alrey filled streets of Iranian capital early Monday morning.

Mourners wearing black beat ir chests and carried posters with Soleimani’s portrait. Demonstrators also unfurled red Shiite flags, which tritionally symbolize both spilled blood of someone unjustly killed and a call for vengeance.

processions mark first time Iran hored a single man with a multi-city ceremony. t even Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded Islamic Republic, received such a processional with his death in 1989. Soleimani on Monday will lie in state at Tehran’s famed Musalla mosque as revolutionary leer did before him.

He will be buried in his hometown of Kerman.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.