Iran's Khamenei says plans to avenge US strike on top general Soleimani ongoing
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country continues to plan its response to killing of its top general in a US drone strike in Baghdad two years ago.
In a speech to students, Khamenei said Iran had not forgotten the US assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and we would retaliate when the time is right, Bloomberg reported.
Khamenei also added that his country would stand by its words.
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The remarks come after reports Saudi Arabia and Washington had shared intelligence of a possible Iranian attack in the region. It was not immediately clear if Khamenei's comments referred to this.
Khamenei also stated that the United States was responsible for disseminating false information among Iran's young, an allegation similar to those made by other Iranian leaders who suggested that outside actors were fomenting the almost eight-week-long upheaval that has engulfed the country.
General Qassem Soleimani was the head of Iran's Quds Force.
Over the past 20 years, he survived several assassination attempts by Western, Israeli and Arab agencies.
As a leader of the foreign arm of the Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and for his key role in fighting in Syria and Iraq, Soleimani acquired celebrity status at home and abroad.
Soleimani was involved in the spread of Iranian influence in the Middle East, which US and Tehran's regional foes Saudi Arabia and Israel have struggled to keep in check.
