Killing of Quds commander is another sign of US frustration and weakness in the region – Iran's Rouhani

3 Jan, 2020 07:17

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during the Kuala Lumpur Summit. ©Malaysia Department of Information via REUTERS 

Washington's assassination of a top Iranian commander is a "cowardly act" that confirms "the weakness of the United States in the region," President Hassan Rouhani said.

Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force, was killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad along with several commanders of Iran-backed militias. Washington considers the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to which Quds belongs, to be a terrorist organization and holds it responsible for recent riots at the US embassy compound in the Iraqi capital.

"Soleimani's martyrdom will make Iran more decisive to resist America's expansionism and to defend our Islamic values. With no doubt, Iran and other freedom-seeking countries in the region will take revenge," Rouhani said in a statement, adding that the killing will only strengthen Iran's resolve in resisting the US.

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"Undoubtedly, such a villainous and cowardly measure is another sign of the US' frustration and incapability in the region and signifies the regional nations' aversion to this aggressive regime," the president noted.

Similar sentiment has been voiced by several top-ranking figures in Tehran in the wake of the assassination of the Quds commander.

Iranian officials say the US targeted the IRGC and Soleimani in particular for the role they played in defeating the jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. This helped Iran gain significant political influence in Iraq and shape Baghdad's policies.

The Trump administration has chosen a confrontational path against Iran, claiming the US "maximum pressure" campaign was necessary to curb its regional power.