Wie die Ahlulbayt Nachrichtenagentur ABNA berichtet, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Iran’s early Wednesday missile attack on US bases in Iraq following the unpardonable American act of state terrorism in the targeted killing of General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last Friday while on a state visit to Iraq as a government guest, was for the moment just “a slap”, and not the vengeance vowed by the Islamic Republic and its grieving masses.
"The talk of vengeance and such debates is another issue. For now, a slap was delivered on their face last night," he said in remarks broadcast live on national television Wednesday.
The Leader added: “What is important is that military action as such is not sufficient. What is important is that the seditious American presence in the region must end,” he said to vociferous chants of "Death to the US" by the large audience, mostly made up of visitors from the holy city of Qom.
The remarks came hours after Iran targeted the Ain al-Assad base north of Baghdad and another US base near Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, with a barrage of missiles as initial response to the unpardonable US crime of killing the world’s most prominent anti-terror commander, General Qassem Soleimani and four of his associates, along with Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Abu Mahdi al-Muhanddis, and the latter’s four associates. The Iraqi anti-terrorist officials were at Baghdad International Airport to receive the guests from Iran.
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran is fully equipped to deal with any further mischief by global bullying powers.
He said: “It is a very blatant mistake for some people to think if we take a step back, the Americans will stop their hostility. Some even write in newspapers that we should behave in such a way that the US does not get angry. This is absolutely wrong. This is contrary to God Almighty’s commandment in the holy Qur’an.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the responsibility of the masses is to discern their enemies, and “I am firmly saying the enemy is the US, the Zionist regime, and the arrogant apparatus of corporations and institutions.”
He said: “The Americans have brought war, sedition and destruction to the region, and wherever they have put their foot on. This must end. This region does not accept the American presence. Governments which represent their people do not accept this.”
He said the Americans now intend to subject our dear country the Islamic Republic of Iran to this same corruption and destruction, by insisting on negotiation, which are a prelude to intervention.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution hailed the Iraqi parliament's decision in ordering US troops to leave the country as well as the Iranian parliament's blacklisting of American Department of War the Pentagon, and all US military forces, as terrorists.
He said: “The Americans want Iraq to be like the former evil regime of the Pahlavis, or like Saudi Arabia today – a region full of oil to be under their control so they can do whatever they want – actually a milking cow in the words of that person (reference to US President Donald Trump). But the faithful people, especially the Iraqi youth and their Marja'iya (religious authorities) have stood up to these machinations, and Haaj Qassem (Soleimani) assisted this vast front as an active adviser and a sincere supporter.”
The US, said Ayatollah Khamenei, has similar plans for Lebanon, where the Americans want to clear the country of the most important factor of independence which is the Resistance Movement, which they cannot resist.
He added: “However, thank God, Hezbollah has become stronger day by day and today, it serves as the hands and eyes of Lebanon, while the role of our martyr [Gen. Soleimani] is paramount and outstanding.”
He said that certain regimes of the region, despite their sporadic words of hostility against us, are not our enemy as long as they do not act against the Islamic Republic in collaboration with its enemies.
In his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said the martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani has served the Islamic Revolution, since it shows to the world the Revolution is alive. You saw what happened in Tehran and other cities.”
He was referring to several million people who came out to pay homage to Gen. Soleimani in the Iranian capital, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Qom and Kerman.
The Leader said: “Enemies felt humiliated in the face of this glory even though they may try to conceal it. The lying US which is not worthy of anything, tried to depict this brave man as a terrorist but the Iranian nation punched them in the mouth."
General Soleimani, he said, thwarted American plans in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Occupied Palestine. The US plan was to confine the Palestinian cause to oblivion so that the Palestinians dare not speak of their struggle. This man energized the Palestinians and worked wonders in Gaza – a small region which stood against them."
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