Iran’s Ex-Defence Minister Claims US Became All-Out ‘Terrorist State’ After Soleimani Killing

The Quds Force general commanded the country’s extraterritorial military and intelligence operations for over two decades before being assassinated in Baghdad by a US drone on January 3, with his death leading to a dramatic escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington.

General Qasem Soleimani was not simply a military commander, but also a skilled diplomat and administrator who spearheaded Iran’s response against US imperialism in the Middle East, former Defence Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan has said.

Speaking to Tasnim News in an interview published Monday, Dehghan, who was a close personal friend of Soleimani, and worked with him during the four years he served as Iran’s defence minister from 2013 to 2017, revealed new details about the Quds commander’s exploits.

‘Controlled Chaos’

Commenting on the events leading up to Soleimani’s assassination, the retired general said that the US didn’t appear to believe “that the assassination would have such consequences for them,” and alleged that America’s actions in the region in the months before the assassination were being conducted “at the request of the Zionists and with the money of countries like Saudi Arabia to block the Islamic Republic’s influence.”

Iran’s Ex-Defence Minister Claims US Became All-Out ‘Terrorist State’ After Soleimani Killing

Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq January 13, 2020

‘Stupid Strategic Mistake’

Stressing that Soleimani had devoted his whole life to “confronting terrorism and its roots in the region,” Dehghan said he believed that Washington and President Trump had “made a big gamble” in killing Soleimani, and lost. “I think Trump committed a stupid strategic mistake by assassinating Soleimani. With this crime, no longer can Americans claim to be a civilized state. Until yesterday the Zionists were a terrorist state, but now so is the US president in the eyes of the public,” he claimed.

Soldier and Diplomat

Asked to recall his contacts with Soleimani during the four years that Dehghan served as Iran’s defence minister, the general said there were many areas the two cooperated on, “such as when the Russians came to Syria in the fight against Daesh. We had numerous meetings with Soleimani at the time on various issues related to support and communications with the Russians.”

“I was supposed to have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow prior to the meeting between Qasem and the Russians which actually led the Russians to enter Syria. Naturally, there were discussions on this topic beforehand,” Dehghan said. According to the general, while Russia initially intended to take complete command of the situation on the battlefield, it was ultimately decided that Soleimani would serve as “the backbone and commander in the field.”

Iran’s Ex-Defence Minister Claims US Became All-Out ‘Terrorist State’ After Soleimani Killing

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan meet in Moscow

According to Dehghan, in Soleimani’s meetings with the Russian president, “he was accepted as not just the commander of the Quds Force,” but for his political and administrative qualities as well. The same was true in the case of meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Dehghan suggested.

The January 3 assassination of Soleimani in Baghdad led to a major escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington, with Iran officially responding by launching airstrikes against two Iraqi military bases hosting US troops. The strikes caused no deaths or serious injuries, but the Pentagon has since reported that at least 109 US servicemembers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.

Sourse: sputniknews.com

Iran’s Ex-Defence Minister Claims US Became All-Out ‘Terrorist State’ After Soleimani Killing

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