TEHRAN - Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami said on Tuesday that Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani was architect of defeats suffered by the United States, the Zionist regime of Israel and their allies in the region.

In a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in Tehran, Salami noted that Soleimani’s path will continue powerfully.

He also said, “General Soleimani was born in Iran, however, his endeavors in Islamic lands made him a figure who belongs to the world of Islam, especially in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.”

The world of Islam mourned his martyrdom, he added.

Khamis said that Soleimani will remain alive in the hearts of the Syrians.

Soleimani was a legendary commander in the fight against terrorist groups including Daesh (also called ISIS) in Iraq and Syria.

Soleimani was assassinated in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on January 3.

Immediately after the terrorist attack on General Soleimani, Zarif resorted to his Twitter account, writing, “The US' act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation.”

After the assassination, Iran vowed “harsh revenge”. Thereby on January 8, on the dead of the night, Iran responded to the U.S. military act by firing 22 ballistic missiles at a major U.S. airbase in western Iraq. 

Iran pounded the military base from which the U.S. had flown drones to assassinate Soleimani.

CNN, Al Jazeera and other major media outlets have released videos and photos showing the extent of the damage on the airbase hosting the U.S. troops.

A top official from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has said Iran's precision missile strikes at the U.S. military base shattered Washington’s invincibility myth, according to Press TV.

“Iran, by bombing the bases, exposed the American arrogance and put an end to the U.S. invincibility myth. It demonstrated that it stands … prepared for any confrontation. The blood of Lt. Gen. Soleimani marks the end of American presence in Iraq and the region, so the United States no longer has a future in the region,” Nabil Qaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah's executive council, said at a memorial ceremony held in Lebanon’s southern town of Khiam on Monday.

NA/PA