Former Iran Guards chief vows 'vigorous revenge against America' for Soleimani killing

DUBAI: A former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaei, on Friday vowed “vigorous revenge against America” for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force.

“Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Suleimani joined his martyred brothers, but we will take vigorous revenge on America,” Rezaei, who is now the secretary of a powerful state body, said in a post on Twitter.

Soon after US confirmed the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, Iran foreign minister said the assassination is "extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation" of the tensions between the US and Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday the assassination of Iran Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani was "an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation." "The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism," he said in a post on Twitter.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed in a statement read out on state television that the commander of its Quds unit Qasem Soleimani was killed by US forces in Baghdad on Friday.