Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi pledged that revenge for the late Major General Qassem Soleimani would "inevitably come", during the commemoration of the third anniversary of his death in an American strike in Iraq.
"We have not forgotten, and we will not forget, the blood of the martyr Qassem Soleimani," Raisi said today, Tuesday, in front of thousands who attended the Grand Mosque in Tehran, warning "criminals and planners" that the Islamic Republic "will make them sleepy ... and revenge is inevitably coming."
Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force entrusted with foreign operations in the Revolutionary Guards and one of the most prominent architects of Tehran's regional policy, was killed by a US drone strike near Baghdad Airport on January 3, 2020, during the reign of former US President Donald Trump.
Trump confirmed at the time that he had ordered the strike, indicating that Soleimani was planning "imminent" attacks against American diplomats and military personnel.
Tehran responded days later with missile strikes on two bases in Iraq where there are American soldiers, and since then it has been repeating its demand for the withdrawal of American forces from this neighboring country.
It is attributed to Soleimani that he played a major role in strengthening Iran's influence in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria, and the fight against the Islamic State organization in the two countries.
Tehran held Trump and officials in his administration, in addition to US military officials, responsible for involvement in the assassination of Soleimani, reiterating its demand for their trial.
And last Tuesday, a spokesman for the Iranian judiciary, Massoud Staishi, said that "154 suspects, including 96 Americans" responsible for the operation, had been identified.