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White House warns Iran of 'severe consequences' if they take revenge on Qassem Soleimani's slaying with attacks on US bases and believes 'sanctions' on Trump officials amount to assassination threats

  The U.S. issued a dire warning to   Iran   as the Islamic Republic warned of 'hard revenge' for the killing of General Qassem Sole...

 The U.S. issued a dire warning to Iran as the Islamic Republic warned of 'hard revenge' for the killing of General Qassem Soleimani at the two-year anniversary of his death.     

Iran over the weekend sanctioned dozens of U.S. officials for alleged involvement in the attack on Iran's former top general. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Iran's sanctions on Saturday came as Tehran's proxy militias continued to attack American troops in the Middle East. 

'We will work with our allies and partners to deter and respond to any attacks carried out by Iran,' Sullivan said in a statement. 'Should Iran attack any of our nationals, including any of the 52 people named yesterday, it will face severe consequences.' 

Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, the overseas arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on January 3, 2020, ordered by then-President Donald Trump. 

'We will prepare ground for the hard revenge against the US from within their homes,' said Soleimani's replacement, Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani, at a memorial service in Mashhad this week, according to Tasnim News.  

'We do not need to be present as supervisors everywhere, wherever is necessary we take revenge against Americans by the help of people on their side and within their own homes without our presence,' he added.

'We will work with our allies and partners to deter and respond to any attacks carried out by Iran,' national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement

'We will work with our allies and partners to deter and respond to any attacks carried out by Iran,' national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement

Soleimani's replacement, Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani (seen at his 2020 funeral) this week vowed to take 'hard revenge' on the US for the drone strike killing him

Soleimani's replacement, Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani (seen at his 2020 funeral) this week vowed to take 'hard revenge' on the US for the drone strike killing him

Soleimani (center), the commander of Iran's Quds Force, the overseas arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on January 3, 2020

Soleimani (center), the commander of Iran's Quds Force, the overseas arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on January 3, 2020

Trump ordered the drone strike that obliterated Soleimani's convoy as he made a secret visit to Baghdad

Trump ordered the drone strike that obliterated Soleimani's convoy as he made a secret visit to Baghdad


The commander was blown up in his motorcade by a Reaper drone missile outside Baghdad airport in a strike ordered by Trump after intelligence revealed Soleimani was planning attacks on American soldiers in Iraq. 

Ghaani called on the US to deal internally with the 'criminals' who carried out the strike on Solemani, whom the Trump administration called a major financier and mastermind of terrorism throughout the Middle East.

Otherwise, he vowed, 'the children of the Resistance Front' would take matters into their own hands in what he said would be a costlier manner. 

And on Saturday, Iran targeted 51 U.S. officials, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, former national security adviser Robert O'Brien and head of Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie, for 'terrorism' and human rights violations. 

Sullivan referenced 51 people, but Tehran said it sanctioned 51. 

One year ago Iran had slapped sanctions on Trump, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo and eight other officials for the drone strike that killed Soleimani. 

If Trump and Pompeo are not tried in a 'fair court,' Iran said it and its allies in the 'resistance axis' would seek revenge. 

Addressing Tehran's largest mosque, Raisi said last week: 'The aggressor and the main assassin, the then president of the United States, must face justice and retribution' alongside former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo 'and other criminals'.

'Otherwise, I will tell all US leaders that without a doubt the hand of revenge will emerge from the sleeve of the Muslim nation.'

On Friday, Iran displayed three ballistic missiles at an outdoor prayer esplanade in central Tehran as talks in Vienna aimed at reviving Tehran´s nuclear deal with world powers floundered.

The missiles - known as Dezful, Qiam and Zolfaghar - have official ranges of up to 620 miles and are already-known models, the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said.

And last week, a drone attack on a U.S. base in Baghdad was foiled - two armed drones were shot down as they approached an Iraqi military base hosting U.S. forces. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but writing found on the wing of one drone read: 'Soleimani's revenge.' 

The United States is leading the international military coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and in Syria. There are roughly 900 US troops in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq. 

Diplomats from countries that remain in the 2015 nuclear deal - Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - are working with Tehran to revive the accord, which had sought to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for lifting of economic sanctions.

Iran has insisted that the U.S. must lift its sanctions before it will scale back its nuclear program.  

A cleric walks past Zolfaghar, top, and Dezful missiles displayed in a missile capabilities exhibition by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Tehran on Friday

A cleric walks past Zolfaghar, top, and Dezful missiles displayed in a missile capabilities exhibition by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Tehran on Friday

The same type of ballistic missiles fired at al-Asad Air Base where the US soldiers are located in the Anbar province of Iraq two years ago are displayed in Tehran on Friday

The same type of ballistic missiles fired at al-Asad Air Base where the US soldiers are located in the Anbar province of Iraq two years ago are displayed in Tehran on Friday

Iran displayed the missiles in a blustering show of force in central Tehran on Friday

Iran displayed the missiles in a blustering show of force in central Tehran on Friday 

American diplomats are present at the nuclear talks in Vienna but they are not in direct talks with Iranians. 

The accord collapsed in 2018 when then-President Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. 

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, speaking on the second anniversary of Soleimani's assassination, said this week Trump must face trial for the killing or Tehran would take revenge. 

Representatives attend a meeting of the joint commission on negotiations aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria on December 27

Representatives attend a meeting of the joint commission on negotiations aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria on December 27

Statue of Iranian general Soleimani is torched in Shahrekord
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On Wednesday morning, a statue to honour Qassem Soleimani (pictured) was unveiled in Hazrat Qamarbani Hashem Square in the southwestern Iranian city of Shahrekord

On Wednesday morning, a statue to honour Qassem Soleimani (pictured) was unveiled in Hazrat Qamarbani Hashem Square in the southwestern Iranian city of Shahrekord

A statue of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has been torched hours after it was unveiled by officials in Shahrekord, central Iran, to mark the second anniversary of his assassination

A statue of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani has been torched hours after it was unveiled by officials in Shahrekord, central Iran, to mark the second anniversary of his assassination

Earlier this week, a statue of Soleimani was torched hours after it was unveiled by officials to mark the second anniversary of his assassination.   

On Wednesday morning, a statue to honour him was unveiled in Hazrat Qamarbani Hashem Square in the southwestern Iranian city of Shahrekord. 

But by the evening it had been set on fire, ISNA news agency reported, calling it a 'shameful act by unknown individuals'.

'This treacherous crime was carried out in darkness, just like the other crime committed at night at Baghdad airport,' when Soleimani was killed, senior Muslim cleric Mohammad Ali Nekounam said in a statement carried by the Iranian state media.   

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