Monday, January 03, 2022
General Soleimani dies
Iran’s President threatens Trump with vengeance
The Iranian President is celebrating the second anniversary of General Soleimani’s death in his own way: Raisi is threatening former US President Trump with revenge for having given the order to kill. Two drones decorated with messages of retaliation hit the Baghdad airport.
On the second anniversary of the US drone attack on Iranian General Kassem Soleimani in Iraq, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi threatened former US President Donald Trump with retaliation. “The aggressor and the main murderer, the then President of the United States, must face justice and punishment,” said Raisi at a memorial ceremony in Tehran in front of thousands of people.
The Iranian President added that it was “okay for him if the trial of Mr Trump, (whose then Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo and other criminals were brought to a fair trial, where their horrific crimes are dealt with and they receive justice for their deeds.” “. Otherwise he will “tell all US leaders that the hand of vengeance will undoubtedly rise up the sleeve of the Muslim nation.” Raisi paid tribute to Soleimani at the memorial service in the largest place of prayer in the Iranian capital as a symbol of the Islamic revolution in Iran as well as “courage and rationality”.
Commemorations for a week
On January 3, 2020, on Trump’s orders, the US military killed the Iranian general with a targeted drone attack in Iraq. Soleimani had commanded the Al-Kuds Brigades of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which was responsible for deployments abroad. Washington justified the attack by saying that Soleimani had planned attacks on US facilities. His Iraqi follower Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis died with Soleimani. This was number two in the Hashd-al-Schaabi network, whose tens of thousands of paramilitary, pro-Iranian fighters have since been integrated into the Iraqi security apparatus.
The drone attack had aroused international fear of a direct military confrontation between long-time arch enemies Washington and Tehran. Iran responded five days later with rocket fire in Iraq at US army bases in Ain al-Assad and Erbil. US soldiers were not killed, but according to Washington, dozens of long-term brain injuries were sustained.
Iran commemorates Soleimani with commemorations for a whole week. Events in memory of the drone attack were also held in neighboring Iraq. In Najaf, southern Iraq, hundreds of people took part in a funeral march that led to al-Muhandis’ grave.
Two drones intercepted
Iraq is repeatedly drawn into the conflict between its neighbor Iran and the United States. In the past few years, dozens of rocket and drone attacks have been directed against US troops and their interests in Iraq. The attacks are blamed on pro-Iranian groups in Iraq. On Monday, the US Army reportedly intercepted two armed drones that were directed against soldiers from the anti-IS coalition at the airport in Baghdad. Accordingly, there was no damage.
Photos obtained by AFP from a representative of the US-led international forces in Iraq suggested an act of revenge for Soleimanis and al-Muhandis’ death. “Revenge operations for the commanders” was written on a metal part from one of the projectiles. Initially, no one confessed to the drone attacks.