Revolutionary Guard vows vengeance on US and Israel
The deputy head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps yesterday warned United States and Israeli leaders to expect a “devastating” response from Tehran, blaming them for the attack on a military parade in Ahvaz.
Speaking at the funeral ceremony for the 25 killed in Saturday’s attack, the IRGC’s acting commander Gen Hossein Salami vowed revenge against the perpetrators and what he called the triangle of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the US.
“You are responsible for these actions; you will face the repercussions. We warn all of those behind the story, we will take revenge,” the general said.
“You have seen our revenge before ... you will see that our response will be crushing and devastating and you will regret what you have done,” Gen Salami said.
Thousands of people packed the streets of the south-west city of Ahvaz to mourn the victims of the assault, who included 12 members of the IRGC.
Many chanted “death to Israel and America”.
In the attack, four assailants fired on a viewing stand in Ahvaz where Iranian officials had gathered to watch an annual event marking the start of the Iran’s 1980-1988 war with Iraq. Two of the gunmen were killed and the other two arrested.
An Arab separatist group, Ahvaz National Resistance, and ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but neither offered any evidence of carrying it out.
At the funeral yesterday, Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Hatami warned the terrorists to expect the revenge of the Iranian nation.
Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavai also announced that many suspects involved in the attack had been identified and “a majority of them were detained. We will punish the terrorists, one by one”, he promised the mourners.