Not minding whether it has a fighting chance or not, the Islamic Republic of Iran has threatened violence against the most powerful country in the world – The United States with destruction for the umpteenth time as it expresses its outrage against United States sanction against it.
This threat was issued by the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force, General Qasssem Solaeimani who briefly stepped out of the shadows on Thursday to deliver a fiery speech against Donald Trump, warning the US president that if a war broke out between both countries, Iran would “destroy all that you possess”.
General Qassem Soleimani, is the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary special forces, and is regarded as one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East; he also commands Iran’s military operations in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen. Although he has been seen across battlefields from Mosul to Aleppo, he rarely makes public speeches.
He however broke this tradition when he delivered a blistering response to Mr. Trump’s tweet on Monday, when the US president warned Iran that if it threatened America it would face “consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered”.
The Iranian General responded with a threat of his own in the rare speech, “You know that this war will destroy all that you possess, you will start this war but we will be the ones to impose its end. Therefore you have to be careful about insulting the Iranian people and the president of our Republic.” Qassem warned the United States.
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Mr. Trump has fired the first salvo after Iranian Lawmakers had insulted the US while burning US flags in the Iranian parliament in protest of the United States withdrawal from the nuclear deal signed by former President Barrack Obama. Mr. Trump had said via his Twitter account @realDonaldTrump,
To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!
In response, the Iranian General had told Mr. Trump: “You know our power in the region and our capabilities in asymmetric war. We will act and we will work…We are near you, where you can’t even imagine.”
Gen Soleimani also taunted America over its military failures in Iraq and Afghanistan and said US troops had to be supplied with “adult diapers”.
Although Mr. Trump’s tweet had been aimed at Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, General Soleimani told the US president to address him instead of Mr. Rouhani.
“As a soldier, it is my duty to respond to Trump’s threats. If he wants to use the language of threat, he should talk to me, not to the president,” he said.
Gen Soleimani further denounced the US President for what he called the usage of language found in night clubs and gambling halls.
The President of Iran has also threatened the US on Monday “that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars”.
The United States has been doing all it can to curb the growing influence of Iran in the region is support of its major allies; Saudi Arabia.