Iran Not To Give Up On Soleimani's Revenge For A Nuclear Deal

Iran’s foreign ministry has rejected rumors that the country has given up efforts to avenge IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani death for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.

During his weekly briefing on Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the Islamic Republic’s position regarding the killing of Soleimani is clear, and that “the government and people of Iran will never forget the cowardly assassination of the great commander by the American government.”

Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) extra-territorial Quds Force, was killed in Baghdad along with nine others in 2020 by a drone strike ordered by then-President Donald Trump. The Qods Force under Soleimani became deeply involved in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Trump claimed that the general, who was Iran’s main operative in the Middle East, was killed because he was planning attacks on US troops.

In March, Iran said its judiciary would start the trial for all those involved in the killing of IRGC commander, including Trump, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and former CENTCOM chief Kenneth McKenzie. A lot of high-ranking Iranian military personnel and political figures, including the Supreme Leader, have promised revenge for the Soleimani's targeted killing.

The case for the revenge against the killers of Soleimani cannot be forgotten and it will not be amenable to compromise and reconciliation, Kanaani said, noting that the Islamic Republic will exhaust all of its capabilities “to bring the killers of the general to justice.” He added that Iran acts with seriousness in this regard and that the issue is not related to the nuclear negotiations.