Iran says Soleimani killers ‘not safe on Earth’

TEHRAN: Iran’s judiciary chief warned on Friday that Qasem Soleimani’s killers will "not be safe on Earth", as the Islamic republic began marking the first anniversary of the top general’s assassination in a US strike.

Ebrahim Raisi, speaking at an event in Tehran to pay tribute to Soleimani, said not even US President Donald Trump, who ordered the strike, was "immune from justice". Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad airport on January 3, ratcheting up tensions between decades-old arch foes the United States and Iran.

"They will witness a severe revenge. What has come so far has only been glimpses" of it, Raisi told the gathering at Tehran University. "Do not presume that someone, as the president of America, who appeared as a murderer or ordered a murder, may be immune from justice being carried out. Never," he said.

"Those who had a role in this in this assassination and crime will not be safe on Earth." The event was attended by Iranian officials, and speakers included representatives from allied regional countries and forces, namely Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen.

A separate event is expected to be held in the coming days in Kerman, Soleimani’s hometown where he is buried. Soleimani headed the Quds force, the foreign operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Top Iranian authorities, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had previously said that all those involved in his killing would face retribution. Days after Soleimani’s killing, Iran launched a volley of missiles at Iraqi bases housing US and other coalition troops, with Trump refraining from any further military response.

The Iranian leadership has called the strikes a "slap" and vowed that "severe revenge" awaits. Soleimani’s successor, Esmail Qaani, warned during Friday’s event that it may come from anywhere.

"It’s even possible that there are people inside your home (the United States) that will respond to your crime," he said. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since 2018, when Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed crippling sanctions.

The two sides have twice come to the brink of war since June 2019, especially following the killing of Soleimani.While Democrats criticise the US president for his impulsive actions, for Trump, the Soleimani killing is a victory with no cost to American lives.When US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iran’s top General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad near the capital’s international airport, he sent shockwaves across the Middle East. It came after Trump was impeached just a few weeks ago by the Democrat-majority House of Representatives.

Iran vowed a powerful response to the assassination and Tehran’s retaliation came swiftly on Tuesday. But Iran’s bombing of two Iraqi military bases housing US forces did not kill any Americans despite Tehran’s claims to the contrary. The attacks created the impression that the Shia-majority country only attacked domestic face-saving, and does not want to escalate into a war with the world’s most powerful military.

“Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense [sic] under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression,” wrote Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Twitter.