On the eve of the anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination, Tehran considers Washington’s moves in the region suspicious and renews the threat of revenge

Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif described the US moves in the region as suspicious, blaming Washington for the consequences of any possible adventures, and the commander of the Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, promised revenge for his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, on the eve of his assassination anniversary, which falls on January 3.

In a call with his Kuwaiti counterpart, Ahmed Nasser Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah, Zarif said that the US moves in the region are suspicious and cause suspicion, considering that the United States must bear the consequences of any possible adventures in the region.

The Iranian foreign minister explained to his Kuwaiti counterpart his country's visions regarding ensuring stability and comprehensive security in the region, away from foreign interference, he said.

Zarif also wrote in a tweet on Twitter, "Instead of fighting Corona in the United States, Donald Trump and his administration are wasting billions of dollars to fly B-52 bombers and send fleets to our region," adding that reports coming from Iraq indicate a plot to fabricate an excuse for war.

He stressed that Iran does not seek war, but will without hesitation defend its people, security and vital interests, as he put it.

Revenge for Soleimani

Meanwhile, Qaani gave a speech at Tehran University marking the first anniversary of Soleimani’s assassination, describing him as having a deep strategic outlook, and that he was listening to the guide Ali Khamenei and walking under his shadow.

And he added, "America, with its crime, has opened the way for all free people to take revenge on it, and be assured that from inside its homes people may come out to respond to its dirty actions."

Raisi also said that removing American forces from the area was a form of revenge for the assassination of the former Quds Force commander.

The head of the judiciary in Iran added, on the eve of the anniversary of Soleimani's assassination, that whoever committed the crime of his assassination will not enjoy security and will receive harsh retaliation wherever he is, and that the weapons that Soleimani raised in the face of terrorism and arrogance will not be put aside, as he put it.

Complaint to the United Nations For

its part, the Iranian mission to the United Nations said, in a letter addressed to the President of the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, that the United States had sent advanced weapons to the region in the past weeks, and carried out provocative actions, such as flying long-range strategic bombers over the Gulf waters.

The Iranian mission added that US officials also provided false information and provocative statements against Tehran, which increased security tension in the region.

The letter demanded control over these "actions calling for war", blaming the United States for the consequences. It also affirmed that Iran does not seek war, while stressing that its capabilities should not be underestimated.

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) had said that Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller had ordered the return of the aircraft carrier "USS Nimitz" 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.