TEHRAN - Ali Motahari, a former top lawmaker, has said that talks with U.S. President Donald Trump is synonymous with talks with “murderer” of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

“Trump has proposed talks with Iran before the United States’ elections. We have to tell him if there was a minimal chance for talks before assassination of General Soleimani, it is ruined by your crime, because it [talks with the U.S.] means talks with murderer of Soleimani,” tweeted Motahari who served as deputy parliament speaker in the previous parliament. 

His comments came as response to a Trump’s tweet in which he thanked Iran for releasing U.S. Navy veteran Michael White, proposing talks.

“So great to have Michael home. Just arrived. Very exciting. Thank you to Iran. Don’t wait until after U.S. Election to make the Big deal,” Trump said in his tweet on Friday.

On January 3, Trump ordered airstrikes that martyred General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), in Baghdad’s international airport.

In the early hours of January 8, the IRGC fired dozens of ballistic missiles at a military airbase hosting U.S. forces in Iraq as part of its promised “tough revenge” for the U.S. terrorist attack.

Soleimani was recognized internationally as a legendary commander in the war against terrorist groups, especially Daesh (ISIS).

NA/PA