Iran's supreme leader Khamenei vows 'severe revenge' after US kills Soleimani

After the United States killed Iran's top commander Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly warned of 'severe revenge for the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood'. Khamenei further also said that Soleimani's work and his path will not be stopped. 

General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed by US air raid at Baghdad's international airport on January 3, along with six others. The White House and the Pentagon confirmed the death of Iran's powerful military head by saying that the attack was directed by US President Donald Trump. To assert further, the US President posted a picture of the country's flag on his Twitter account.

"General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more," the Department of Defense said. 

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Iran warns US of 'repercussions'

Citing a Revolutionary Guard statement, Iranian state television said Soleimani was “martyred” in an attack by US helicopters near the airport, without elaborating. Soon after, the advisor to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the US must wait for "repercussions" for crossing the "red line." The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, the officials said. On January 3, Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei also declared three days of mourning for Soleimani and threatened the US saying 'a harsh retaliation is waiting'. In strong condemnation, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also called the act, orchestrated by Trump, as 'international terrorism' and 'foolish escalation.'

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