The US-Iranian tension continues as Tehran revives the anniversary of the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by an American strike on January 3, 2020.
Ismail Ghaani - who succeeded Soleimani in commanding the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard - said that his country is still ready to respond and will determine the appropriate time and place for that, and hinted that revenge includes the American interior.
On an occasion to commemorate this memory at the University of Tehran, Qaani warned, "This crime with its ugliness may provoke even some of those in America, and people there may come out who want to take revenge on those who committed this crime."
"But they have to wait for the harshest revenge. The time and the place will be determined by the dear Resistance Front forces. Those who participated in this assassination will not be safe on the ground. That is certain," he added.
These statements come in light of increased tension between Tehran and Washington recently, especially after US strategic bombers have flown over the Gulf, and in light of fears of a military action that Donald Trump may order implementation in his last days at the White House.
Ghaani said that the response to Soleimani's killing will come at the right place and time (Anatolia)
Iranian message to the Security Council
In a letter addressed to the President of the UN Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Iranian mission to the United Nations warned against any "American adventure" in the Gulf.
The mission said that in addition to sending highly advanced weapons to the region, the United States carried out a number of provocative military actions, including the flight of a number of its long-range strategic bombers over the Gulf.
The mission accused US officials of launching a series of disinformation campaigns and baseless accusations against Iran.
She believed that these actions may lead to an escalation of the situation to an alarming level, and said that Iran is not seeking conflict, but "its ability and determination to protect its people and defend its security and sovereignty should not be underestimated."
She added that the UN Security Council should compel the United States to abide by the principles and rules of international law and stop these illegal actions, according to the letter.
Washington monitors the movements
Meanwhile, the American network "NBC" (NBC) quoted an American official as saying that the United States is noticing increasing indications that Iran might be planning an attack against American forces or interests in the Middle East.
The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed that his country takes these indications seriously, while admitting that it is difficult to read or predict Iran's intention.
In the same context, the correspondent of "CNN" at the Pentagon said that the Iranian navy had raised its level of alert in the Gulf in the past 48 hours.
It quoted an American official as saying that it was not clear whether the Iranian moves were "defensive", or that they were indications that Tehran was preparing to conduct operations in the Gulf against the United States.
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) had said that Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller had ordered the return of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier from the Gulf to its base in the United States.
CNN quoted Pentagon officials that the aim of the move is to reduce tension with Iran, and that there are divisions within the Pentagon regarding the current threat level from Iran.