U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday sent a message of scathing threat to Iran after Tehran vowed to give harsh response to Washington for assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Force.

Using his official Twitter account, Trump threatened to hit Iran “VERY FAST AND VERY HARD” if they attempt to avenge General Soleimani’s assassination.

Lieutenant General Soleimani was assassinated by American drones near Baghdad International Airport in the early hours of Friday.

Trump then accused General Soleimani of orchestrating the attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

The U.S. president threatened to target 52 Iranian sites that are important to the country, including its culture.

“….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!” Trump said.

Soleimani was a legendary commander in the fight against terrorists, including those aligned to Daesh, al-Nusra, and al-Qaeda, in Iraq and Syria.

Iranian officials, including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, vowed to take revenge on the U.S. for its terrorist act.

The White House and the Pentagon claimed responsibility for the assassination of General Soleimani, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of Donald Trump.

In a message on Friday, President Hassan Rouhani said, “This cowardly act is, of course, another sign of America's frustration and helplessness in the region.”

MJ/PA