News - Middle East: Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has lauded sacrifices made by Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani on the third martyrdom anniversary of the iconic commander, warning that the revenge promised for the assassination is “definitive.”

Raeisi made the remarks in a mass ceremony held at the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in Tehran on Tuesday to pay tribute to General Soleimani and his companions, who were assassinated in a US drone strike near the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.

“The Americans should know that we will not pass over the blood of Martyr Soleimani,” Raeisi told the gathering.

 “Allow me to announce on behalf of all of you that we have not forgotten the blood of Martyr Soleimani and will not do so, and they should know that revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani is certain, and we will not let the assassins and perpetrators have a restful sleep.”

Referring to the United States and Islamic Revolution’s enemies, Raeisi said, “Just as General Soleimani stood up against your tyranny, excessive demands, domination and arrogance, and created resistance in the region, our beloved youths will stand today against you until the end in the shadow of the high spirit of Martyr Soleimani.”

The Iranian president stressed that General Soleimani thrashed the US hegemony across the world, noting that the “domineering regime” is bent on robbing the nations and youths of their identities so that its own identity will prevail.

Raeisi said the late commander was both an “identity-generator element,” and a “reviver of Islamic identity” in the region.

‘Symbol of fight against terrorism’
Raeisi commended General Soleimani as a symbol of fight against terrorism and world arrogance, saying he managed to expose the myth of invincibility of the United States.

Raieisi said commemorating the anti-terror icon sends a message of hope to the entire freedom seekers across the world, stressing that General Soleimani was a unifying force among the Iranian society before and after his demise and is now dear to the heart of millions of people around the globe.

Millions of people in Iran and across the world marked on Tuesday the third martyrdom anniversary of the top anti-terror commander, paying tribute to the sacrifices he made in foiling western plots and liberating vast swathes of the West Asia's territory from the clutches of Takfiri terrorist groups.