Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif lashed out at the United States for carrying out airstrikes at the Baghdad International Airport which killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani on Friday morning.
The US' act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.
The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 3, 2020
The foreign minister termed the US decision to carry out the attacks as an ‘act of international terrorism’. He said that United States is responsible for this ‘foolish escalation’ against ‘one of the most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda.’
On Friday morning, United States fired three Katyusha missiles at the Baghdad International Airport killing Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander and head of the elite al-Quds force and Iraq ‘s paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces’ deputy head Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The Pentagon then took out a statement saying that the killings were carried out ‘at the direction of the President’.
Qasem Soleimani was close to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini,and was viewed as a potential future leader of the nation which is at constant rift with United States since Donald Trump joined the Oval Office and decided to walk out of the nuclear deal with Iran. Iran currently faces economic sanctions imposed by US due to Iran’s walking out of the nuclear deal.
