As Iranians held funerals following the Saturday terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, the acting commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that the Islamic Republic would “take revenge” against the United States and “some of its biggest regional allies,” according to CBS News.
25 people were killed and at least 60 more wounded in Iran’s largest terrorism incident in nearly a decade. Nearly half of the dead are members of the Revolutionary Guard.
Speaking at the funeral ceremony, acting commander Hossein Salami vowed to strike back against the “triangle” of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States.
“You are responsible for these actions; you will face the repercussions,” said Salami. “We warn all of those behind the story, we will take revenge.”
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Monday that the five attackers were paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – despite the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the violence – and that Iran would “severely punish” those behind the bloodshed, by which he meant the United States and Israel, who were accused by the deputy head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as being involved in the attack and said they should expect a “devastating” response from Tehran.
“Based on reports, this cowardly act was done by people who the Americans come to help when they are trapped in Syria and Iraq, and are paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” Khamenei said on his official website.
On Monday, thousands of mourners gathered at the Sarallah Mosque on Ahvaz’s Taleghani junction, carrying caskets in the sweltering heat.
Others, mainly young people wearing ethnic clothes of the region’s Arab minority, held large photographs of those slain in the attack. Of the 25 killed, 12 people were from Ahvaz and the rest from elsewhere in Khuzestan.
The procession walked down the Naderi and Zand Streets, many weeping and beating their chests, a traditional way of showing grief. Mourners played drums, cymbals and horns, according to local custom.
The crowd also chanted slogans of “Death to U.S.” and “Death to Israel” – chants staple at Iranian political rallies.
A war of words? Here is a previous tweet from our POTUS 7/22/2018
“To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”