After the US Military strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on Friday, tensions in the Middle East escalated, with the new successor to Soleimani, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Forces before his death, vowing to avenge his killing.
Major General Ismail Qaani, announced as Soleimani’s successor shortly after his death, tearfully pledged retribution during a three-day burial ceremony in Tehran, declaring, “The revenge for Soleimani’s martyrdom is a promise given by God.”
“We promise to continue Martyr Soleimani’s path with the same strength and his martyrdom will be reciprocated in several steps by removing the US from the region,” Qaani expressed, as reported by Iranian state-news agency IRNA.
Following Qaani’s threat to remove the US from the region, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader informed CNN that the response would “for sure be military” and targeted at a military site.
On Sunday, Iraqi lawmakers angered by Soleimani’s killing on Iraqi soil, voted to expel US forces from the country. However, US President Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Iraq if US troops were forced out, citing the significant financial investment made by the US in protecting Iraq over the years.