TEHRAN, Jan 8, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the
Islamic republic’s response on Wednesday to a US strike that killed one of
its general shows “we don’t retreat in the face of America”.
“If America has committed a crime… it should know that it will receive a
decisive response,” Rouhani said in a televised address.
“If they are wise, they won’t take any other action at this juncture.”
The remarks came hours after Iran fired a wave of missiles at Iraqi bases
housing US troops in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
But Rouhani said it would not be enough if Iran’s armed forces hit back for
any other action taken by the United States.
“In my view, America must receive the main response from the nations of
the region,” he said.
The president was repeating a common refrain among Iranian officials since
the assassination that Soleimani’s death will see US forces leave the region.
“They cut off the hand of our dear Soleimani. The revenge for him is to
cut off America’s feet from this region,” Rouhani said.
“If America’s feet is cut off from this region, and its hand of aggression
is cut off for good, this is the real and final response of the nations of
the region to America,” he added.
Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm,
the Quds Force, was killed last week in a US drone strike near Baghdad
international airport.