Israel has claimed the United States is responsible for the murder of a senior officer of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's ideological army, according to reports published on Wednesday by the American daily
The New York Times
.
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Colonel Sayyad Khodai was killed on Sunday by two motorcyclists who opened fire on him in eastern Tehran, according to the official Iranian agency Irna.
He was, according to Iranian state television, a member of the Quds Force, the elite unit of the Revolutionary Guards in charge of external operations.
Iran has accused "
elements linked to global arrogance
" of ordering his murder, a phrase referring to the United States and its allies, such as Israel.
In a letter to Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, made public on Thursday, Iran's Ambassador to the UN, Takht Ravanchi, calls for condemnation of the murder by the international community.
An act that will be “avenged”
"
In accordance with its responsibilities to genuinely fight terrorism and in a non-discriminatory manner, the United Nations should condemn this atrocious act
", he wrote, referring to a responsibility, without identifying them, of "
certain regimes to promote their illegitimate foreign policy objectives in the region
”.
"
According to an intelligence official following the case, Israel has told US officials that it was behind the assassination
," The New York Times wrote on Wednesday.
According to this source, who spoke to the American newspaper on condition of anonymity, Israel told the United States that this operation was intended to demand an end to the actions of a group operating within the Quds Force.
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On Tuesday, thousands of Iranians paid their last respects to Colonel Khodai, described as a "
martyr
".
"
Death to America
" and "
Death to Israel
", they shouted.
Iran's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on Monday the opening of an investigation into the "
exact circumstances of the assassination
" of Khodai.
And President Ebrahim Raïssi affirmed that his murder would be “
avenged
”.
Israel and the United States are enemies of Iran.
Tehran does not recognize the existence of the State of Israel and its diplomatic ties with Washington have been severed since 1980.