Iran continues to retaliate against the United States for the murder a year ago of its powerful commander Qasem Soleimani, whose loss has not diminished Iran’s influence over its allied militias in a growing Middle East.
“Any action taken by the enemy against us will be met with a reciprocal, decisive and firm blow,” said Commander in Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Hosein Salamí on Saturday.
Washington fears retaliation by Tehran on the first anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a U.S. targeted bombing near Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.
Although a week later the Revolutionary Guards attacked a military base in Iraq with missiles with the presence of US troops, the latest revenge is likely not yet carried out.
To honor Soleimani’s memory, hundreds of people today gathered at his grave in south Kerman, his hometown. After patiently waiting their turn, they touched the grave, covered with flowers, and prayed in a ceremony in the cemetery and at a nearby mosque.
His image is ubiquitous on posters and murals in the streets of both Kerman and Tehran, which also features Iraqi Popular Crowd militia number two, Abu Mahdi al Mohandes, who was killed in the same bombing a year ago.
Soleimani, a martyr and hero in Iran and in other countries of the region such as Iraq and Syria, was the commander of the Quds Force, which was in charge of the Revolutionary Guard’s missions abroad.
His legacy stands strong
The assassination of Soleimaní was a severe blow to Iran and its regional influence strategy, but a year later, there have been no major changes in Iranian policies in support of related armed movements such as the Iraqi Popular Crowd, Lebanese Hezbollah or Palestinian Hamas.
“As a good commander, he informed his colleagues about his plans and projects, and prepared them to continue their work,” explains international affairs expert Sabah Zanganeh, who has held the functions of deputy in the past, Deputy Minister and Representative of Iran, to Efe. for the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.
According to the analyst, the Quds Force’s strategy was “ not designed by a single person, ” so Soleimaní’s death rather than affecting their plans further motivated its members to achieve their goals, including the withdrawal of US forces from the region. “
Iran is leading the so-called Axis of Resistance against the US and Israel, structured by the Quds Force, which includes Syria and the aforementioned Popular Crowd groups Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“There is no sign of the failure of their plans or of the withdrawal of their troops,” emphasized Zanganeh, who pointed out that this strategy is “long-term, unaffected (by Soleimani’s death) and continuing in Iraq. , Syria., Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen “.
His successor in command of the Quds force, Esmail Qaani, even emphasized yesterday that the path Soleimani has taken for this military body and for the Axis of Resistance “will not change, despite the bad deeds of the United States.”
At the cemetery today in Kerman, Aqdas Jozai, a 65-year-old woman dressed in a chador, told Efe that her death was “very difficult and painful,” but that now “all are Qasem Soleimani, men on the ground to achieve their goals. . “.
The uncomfortable American presence
The US forces present in Iraq and numerous military bases in the Persian Gulf, including in neighboring countries of Iran, are the main target and their withdrawal, posthumous revenge for the assassination of Soleimani.
“The path of brutal revenge is the collapse of US political dominance over the region and the expulsion of the US from the area,” said the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guard.
US interests, mainly Baghdad’s fortified green zone and Iraqi military bases with its deployed forces, are in the spotlight and have been the target of frequent missile attacks over the past year.
Washington has decided to reduce the number of soldiers on Iraqi territory, where it is expected that only 2,500 US military personnel will remain in less than two weeks.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khameneí, who has the final say in the country’s important decisions, also urged in a recent speech to the Axis of the Resistance “to fulfill his duty to drive the United States out of the region. “.
“Both those who ordered his murder and those who executed him should know that we will retaliate in due time and at the right time,” warned Khameneí, who just slapped Iran’s first retaliatory action a year ago. in the face “.
The region on the alert
Therefore, fearing further reprisals on the occasion of the anniversary, the United States withdrew the only Navy’s aircraft carrier still deployed in the Middle East and flew over the Persian Gulf with a group of B-52 bombers this week. . attempted deterrence.
These moves have been branded by Tehran as “provocation” in a letter to the UN Security Council stressing that “such bellicose tendencies could escalate the situation to an alarming level and that only the US will be responsible.”
For Salamí, who assured that Iran is “ready to respond to any aggression,” the United States is trying to “escape the dangerous nightmare” that began after Soleimani’s murder with these measures.
Revenge has also been taken to court. The Iranian judiciary defends that the murder was an act of terrorism and a violation of international law and recently reported that it identified 48 people involved.
In addition, Iran issued an arrest warrant against US President Donald Trump and 35 other politico-military officials last June, even though the Interpol International Police Agency did not accept the request.
The analyst and former official Zanganeh said Iran was “not responding impulsively” and is not disclosing the date of its possible retaliation to the other side.
“Washington must withdraw its troops from the region or abide by incidents that could be provoked by Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese and other resistance militias in the region,” he added.