Tehran 02 January_The chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has blasted the US for playing a blame game over the developments in Iraq, saying Washington points the finger at Tehran wherever it faces defeat.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)-Major General Hossein Salami on Thursday played down Washington’s strategy of exerting maximum pressure on Tehran, saying the restrictions have been turned into an opportunity for Iran to grow stronger.
Iran “is on a good track; a sign of our power and strength is that the US blames Iran wherever it fails; today a wave of hatred towards America is raging across the world,” said Salami.
Salami’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump held Iran responsible for any “death or destruction” after Iraqi protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Angered by US air raids that killed over two dozen fighters from Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) on Sunday, Iraqi protesters stormed its embassy compound in the high-security Green Zone on Tuesday, setting fires and chanting: “Death to America!” They also demanded the removal of American troops from Iraq.
Trump, however, softened his belligerent tone later, saying he does not see America going to war with Iran.
Reacting to the attack, Trump on Tuesday held Iran “fully responsible” for the incident on Twitter and added that the protesters “will be held fully responsible.”
In a separate statement, Trump later also threatened that Tehran would “pay a very big price” after the attack.
On Wednesday, Iran summoned the Swiss charge d’affaires, whose country represents US interests in Iran, to protest “warmongering” remarks by American officials.