Iran crisis: Senior commander threatens ‘harsher revenge soon’ against US after missile strikes over Soleimani killing

Warning appears to contradict Iranian government’s position on avoiding escalation

A senior Iranian commander has warned there will be “harsher revenge soon” for the US in retaliation to the killing of general Qassem Soleimani, according to local reports.

Abdollah Araghi, a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was quoted by Tasnim news agency threatening further reprisals after Iran launched missile attacks on US-Iraqi airbases earlier this week.

His comment came after Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran appeared to “standing down” following the strikes, which did not harm any US troops in Iraq.

Mr Araghi’s view appears to go against the position taken by Iran’s government, which has signalled that it wants to halt the escalation of tensions between the two countries.

On Wednesday, Javad Zarif, the country’s foreign minister, said his government does “not seek escalation or war, but will defend [itself] against any aggression” in a statement.

The lack of US casualties in the strike has been viewed by some as an opportunity for Mr Trump to calm tensions after he ordered the killing of Soleimani.

Diako Hosseini, an adviser to the Tehran government and director of an Iranian think tank affiliated with the foreign ministry, said on Wednesday that the missile strike was “intended to avoid major casualties”.

“He [Mr Trump] should appreciate Iran’s ultimate restraint,” Mr Hosseini said.

Compared to Iran’s government, the IRGC is considered more hardline in its domestic and foreign policies.

Soleimani’s replacement as head of the country’s Quds Force in the IRGC, Esmail Ghaani, has said he will continue the course pursued by his predecessor.

Following the attacks, world leaders have urged the US and Iran to show restraint and avoid a move towards all-out war.

On Thursday, Pope Francis called on the two countries to avoid further escalation and pursue “dialogue and self-restraint” to avert conflict in the Middle East.

He added that the tensions risked “compromising the gradual process of rebuilding in Iraq” following nearly a decade of war.

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said he has spoken to Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and urged Iran to come back into compliance with the 2015 international nuclear agreement.

On Sunday, Iran said it would no longer respect restrictions on enrichment of uranium following the killing of Soleimani in the most serious blow to the deal yet.

Mr Trump abandoned the nuclear agreement in May 2018 in favour of a policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran.

The deal, which aimed to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon, had been viewed as a triumph of the Obama administration after years of tension over the country’s nuclear capabilities.

Additional reporting by Reuters