Iranian president vows to avenge Qasem Soleimani

Iranian President Pezeshkian made a statement early on the morning of the 18th, expressing condolences over the assassination of Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran and former speaker of the Iranian Islamic Parliament, and vowing revenge. Pezeshkian spoke highly of Larijani’s contributions during his tenure. He said that, as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Larijani worked to the fullest to promote regional peace and security and to strengthen friendly relations among Islamic countries. His death is an enormous loss that cannot be made up for, and the perpetrators will surely be severely punished. Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran will continue to follow a resistance line that combines “reason and foresight.” On the 17th, the Israel Defense Forces said that the Israeli forces carried out an airstrike the previous night near Tehran, the capital of Iran, to assassinate Larijani. In an early-morning statement on the 18th, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed that Larijani had been killed. Over the years, Larijani has been regarded as one of the most senior members of Iran’s leadership. He was a close partner of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei. According to the account from the Israeli side, after Khamenei died in an airstrike by the United States and Israel on February 28, Larijani led combat operations against Israel and the United States, making him Iran’s “de facto leader.” (Xinhua News Agency)