US adventurism throwing world into more chaos

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iranian Ambassador to China Mohammad Keshavarzzadeh denounced the US military adventurism and violation of international law which was brought to world attention in the case of unfair assassination of Iran's top anti-terrorism Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, warning that Washington is pushing the world towards more disorder.

Keshavarzzadeh, in an article, described assassination of General Soleimani by US as violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Lieutenant General Soleimani, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force commander was assassinated by the US along with the acting Commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known as Hashd al-Shaabi, Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, and eight other military forces with record of fighting the ISIL in Iraq.

In a move unprecedented in recent history, United States armed forces in Iraq assassinated Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), an official branch of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Keshavarzzadeh noted.

The envoy highlighted that the incident is now at the center of worldwide attention and protests. There are two reasons for this.

“First, Soleimani was at the heart of the Iran government’s efforts to help – in response to requests from some governments in the region – fight the so-called Islamic State militant group, better known as the ISIL, which the United Nations Security Council designates as a terrorist group,” the Iranian ambassador asserted.

“Second, the assassination of Soleimani by armed forces under the direction of the US president is an obvious example of state terrorism and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including those stipulated in the UN Charter,” Keshavarzzadeh highlighted.

“It is ironic that a country that flags itself as the leading power fighting terrorism has attacked a country fighting against terrorism. Interestingly, this atrocious action did not even gain universal support in domestic circles in the US, and has attracted widespread protests and harsh criticism of the US administration from analysts and political figures, who question the legal basis, political logic and moral ground of this provocative undertaking,” he went on noting.

“In response to this criminal act, ‘Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter’, said Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in a tweet. He added, ‘We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression,’” Keshavarzzadeh underlined.

“After the US government’s recent adventurism, it should be clear to everyone that the international community’s efforts to ensure the viability and functionality of diplomatic solutions are being voided, while well-established international norms and practices are drastically losing credibility,” he censured Washington for adopting destructive policies.

“This is likely to lead to a more chaotic world where no law is respected, bad interpretation prevails and blatant force is used no matter how others regard it. This destructive attitude gravely threatens peace and international security, and should be prevented from becoming the trend,” he opined.

“In the face of this crucial situation, Iran will move forward along the path of development and continue to safeguard its sovereignty, independence and dignity with much greater impetus and resolve than before, without losing its strategic outlook,” he added.

“While Iran reserves the right to counter any possible aggression, it will continue to communicate and coordinate with its partners, particularly China, with which Iran has a strategic partnership and much in common in dealing with destructive activities stemming from a power-politics mindset, to restore peace and regional stability,” the envoy said.

“It is hoped that Iran, China and all other countries that pursue a policy of independence will come together to respond to the expansionism, interference and meddling in internal affairs of others, such as that which we have witnessed in recent months with regard to the unrest in Hong Kong and in the US propaganda campaign to smear China’s policies,” Keshavarzzadeh stated.

“Recent developments show that if such approaches and behavior are not effectively pushed back, no region or country will be safe from this dangerous attitude,” he added.

On Friday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said the US revealed its terrorist nature once again when it assassinated General Soleimani, and reminded the world that the terror attack should receive a global condemnation by every standard.

In a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, Brigadier General Hatami said, “Once more, the Americans showed their terrorist face to the world.”

Iran is ready to give harsh response to any of the enemies' adventurous measures, he warned, referring to the assassination of IRGC Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Soleimani by the terrorist army of the US at Baghdad International Airport on January 03.

“Soleimani’s martyrdom will not put an end to resistance but is a revival for the Resistance Front,” he added.

He called for all the regional countries and independent ones in the world to condemn the US’ assassination of the Iranian General.

Calling for regional stability, the Turkish minister Hulusi Akar, for his part, noted that no one will take advantage of tensions in the region.

He also called for the continuation of Iran-Turkey cooperation on mutual and regional issues.

Earlier on Thursday, Hatami had underlined that the recent retaliatory missile attacks against the US bases in Iraq were only a warning to Washington not to test Iran's military power.

"The American commanders who had been used to show to the public their hollow power by heavy fire against other countries, while those countries were in weak conditions, and against the defenseless nations, felt the scorching heat of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s missile power," General Hatami said, addressing a ceremony in Tehran on Thursday.

"I hope that the enemies never make a decision to test the Iranian nation's determination because what was carried out, was just a warning and a slap," he added.

On January 8, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq. Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial reports said the US army's central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been jammed by electronic warfare.

The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of "Martyr Soleimani" reprisal operation.

Iraq said the attacks had not taken any toll from its army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.

It was the first direct attack on the US army ever since world war two.

The IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been intercepted.

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