Iran names Esmail Qaani as new Quds chief
Tehran/IBNS: Esmail Qaani has been appointed as Iran's new head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm following the death of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, media reports said.
"Following the martyrdom of the glorious general haj Qassem Soleimani, I name Brigadier General Esmail Qaani as the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement posted on his official website as reported by Al Jazeera.
After a US strike killed Iran's top military general Qasem Soleimani, Tehran has slammed Washington and also warned of "consequences" for undertaking a "rogue adventurism", media reports said.
Calling the US move as "international terrorism" and "extremely dangerous and foolish escalation", Iran said now Washington will have to bear the responsibility of the consequences of the strike.
The Pentagon on Friday announced the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani during a 'strike'.
Rockets hit two vehicles belonging to the PMF, a PMF source and an Iraqi security source told CNN.
The Pentagon said he was killed at the 'direction' of the 'President'.
"At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," Pentagon said in a statement.
"General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more," the statement said.
"He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week," it said.
"This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world," it said.
US President Donald Trump tweeted image of the American flag following the incident.
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