Iranian senior on offensive against US: Hundreds of missiles were ready for launch

The Revolutionary Guards Air Force commander claimed that Tehran did not want to hurt Americans, but "dozens" were killed and hidden in hospitals in the region, including in Israel. He warned that this was only the first stage of revenge on Suleimani, despite the messages conveyed from Iran that the round was over

Iranian senior on offensive against US: Hundreds of missiles were ready for launch

A senior Iranian general said Thursday that Tehran was not trying to kill U.S. troops in its attack on US bases in Iraq - but to damage Washington's "war machine." However, he unabashedly argued that "dozens were killed and injured" and that the United States concealed this as it delivered casualties to hospitals in countries in the region, including Israel.

General Amir Ali Hajidze, commander of the Revolutionary Guards Air Force in charge of the arsenal of missiles, said yesterday the attack, which was a response to the assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, is just the beginning of a series of attacks in the region. This is contrary to Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Zarif's statement, which said the attack "ended" the Iranian revenge.

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Khamenei greets Revolutionary and Army Guards at ceremony in Tehran today (Photo: Reuters)

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei with Revolutionary and Army Guards at Ceremony in Memory of Qasem Suleimani in Tehran, January 9, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

According to the senior general, the "appropriate revenge" for the elimination, which was the United States' most dramatic move since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, will be the deportation of American troops from the Middle East. He also said that hundreds of missiles were ready for launch in the event of a US response, and that Iran was simultaneously conducting "cyber-attacks to take the GPS systems" of US aircraft.

According to US and Iraqi officials, there were no casualties in the attack that involved the launch of at least 15 missiles at two Iraqi targets. The lack of losses has led the Trump administration to refrain from further reaction and thus halt the escalation, at least for now.

A few hours to prepare: the information that helped the US absorb Iran's attack

The administration avoided another response. Trump (Photo: Reuters)

US President Donald Trump during his statement in the White House January 8, 2019 (Photo: Reuters)

"I'm pleased to announce that no American has been injured in the Iranian attack tonight," Trump said at a White House press conference yesterday. "We are not injured, all our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage is done." He added that "the days when countries ignored her behavior are over" and that "Iran has withdrawn."

Suleimani's assassination brought both countries close to a military conflict, and the international community called on the parties to avoid escalation. "We will not flinch against America," said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "America needs to know that if it commits a crime, it will receive a crushing response."

(First Update: 5:30 pm)