Israel will soon be met with "a strong and definite response" to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Chief Commander of the Iranian Army Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Wednesday, according to Iranian news sites.
According to IFP News, Mousavi was speaking at a ceremony commemorating Journalist's Day in Bandar Abbas, a port city in Southern Iran.
“The Zionist regime will soon receive a strong and definite response, and there is no doubt about it," Mousavi reportedly said, according to IRNA and Tasnim. "It is clear that they themselves have realized the speed of their own destruction, and by doing so, they want to save themselves from the quagmire, but they definitely cannot save themselves from annihilation."
Mousavi also praised the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the new political head of Hamas on Tuesday, according to IRNA and Tasnim.
According to IRNA, Mousavi called Sinwar a “great combatant in the contemporary era,” and continued by saying that his appointment as Haniyeh's replacement means that Israel will have "no hope for its own future" and "will collapse."
Iran-Belarus
Earlier on Wednesday, General Mousavi met with the Commander of the Belarusian Air Force, Andrei Lukyanovich, to discuss ties between the countries, IRNA and Tasnim news reported.
Mousavi reportedly thanked Minsk for its “courageous and independent” stance on the assassination of Haniyeh, and its defensive position against the expansion of NATO. Both countries allegedly agreed on their stance against US unilateralism.
Lukyanovich called for the deepening of military relations between Minsk and Tehran, according to Press TV.
According to Tasnim, Lukyanovich also met with Iranian Armed Forces Commander Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh and Iranian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi.
Brigadier General Vahedi told his Belarusian counterpart that all regional tensions were the fault of the US and Israel, according to semi-official Iranian outlet Mehr News.
“We believe that this child-killing Israeli regime is nearing its end. History shows that anyone who rules with oppression will not remain in power and will be annihilated ASAP,” Vahedi said, according to Mehr News.