The Presiding Board of Assembly of Experts said: "General Soleimani, the honorable general of Islamic army, who commanded the front against ISIS terrorists was beloved by the Islamic Ummah and the Resistance throughout Islamic countries."
"Martyring Soleimani is not merely killing of a military personnel that can be revenged by killing a military force from the other side; assassinating him clearly resembles declaring war and mischief against the Front of Resistance and the Islamic Ummah," the statement said.
Assembly Experts Presiding Board said that since “the shabbily assassination” was carried out in an Islamic territory – Iraq, that is an explicit aggression against Islamic Ummah and requires taking revenge by the Ummah in a way that prevents similar behavior in the future.
The statement also cited the Supreme Leader’s promise that “a sever revenge” awaits the criminals and added: “Islamic Iran will never start a war… this adventure began by the enemies, but it won’t end by them.”
“The minimum expectation of the Islamic Ummah regarding the martyrdom of these combatants is equal to removal of American force from all Islamic territories, especially Iraq,” the statement said.
Lieutenant General Soleimani and the acting commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) - known as the Hashd al-Shaabi - Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes and their fellow combatants, separately leaving Baghdad airport in two cars, were targeted and assassinated on Friday at the direct order of US President Donald Trump.
The funeral ceremony of the martyrs was held in some Iraqi cities before they were taken to Ahvaz, Mashhad and Tehran so that millions of Iranians could pay their last respect to them.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented on the martyrdom of the great commander of the IRGC's Quds Forces and said harsh and severe revenge is awaiting the criminals.
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