Final answer will be to kick all US forces out of region: Iran President Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the country's final response to General Qasem Soleimani's death would be to expel all US forces out of the region. Taking on to twitter, President Rouhani praised late Quds Force's General Qasem Soleimani, and his efforts to "heroically fight against ISIS, Al Nusrah, and Al Qaeda." He said, "General Soleimani fought heroically against ISIS, Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al. If it weren’t for his war on terror, European capitals would be in great danger now. Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region."
Earlier, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has termed Wednesday's early morning missile attack at Iraqi bases housing US troops a tight slap on America's face. The missile attack on US troops was in retaliation to the killing of the top Irani general in a US airstrike. According to Iran's state media, around 80 'American terrorists' (US troops) have been killed in Iran's missile strikes.
Making a statement after Iran attacked US bases in Iraq, their supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said, "A slap was delivered last night, but what is important is that the seditious presence of America in the region should be ended."
His remarks came after he had vowed "severe revenge" for a US drone strike that killed one of Iran's top military commanders near Baghdad international airport last week.
READ | 'A slap was delivered last night': Ayatollah Khamenei on rocket attack at US base in Iraq
In the meantime, Iraq said that Iran had given it advance notice of the missile attack on the United States forces that is believed to have killed 80 American soldiers.
Iranian state television said at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed in attacks involving 15 missiles Tehran launched on US targets in Iraq, adding that none of the missiles were intercepted. State TV, citing a senior Revolutionary Guards source, also said Iran had 100 other targets in the region in its sights if Washington took any retaliatory measures. It also said US helicopters and military equipment were 'severely damaged'.
Reportedly, several European nations have announced partial troop withdrawals from Iraq, citing security concerns. Iraqi parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling for all foreign troops to leave their country, days after a US drone strike killed Soleimani in Baghdad.
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