TERHAN – A senior Iranian security official has blamed the assassination of Colonel Sayad Khodaei on Israel, vowing a “tough revenge” for the slain colonel.

Sayad Khodaei, a member of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was shot point-blank in his car on Sunday afternoon.

Majid Mir-Ahmadi, secretary of the Security Council of the Country (SCC), said Israel was behind the assassination. “The assassination of Martyr Khodaei was definitely carried out by the Zionist regime, and the criminals must be prepared for a severe slap in the face from Iran,” he told state news agency IRNA.

He added, “The criminals who have committed such a crime must be prepared for a severe slap in the face; Because our revenge will be such that they will regret their action.”

Iran has strongly condemned the assassination of Sayad Khadaei.

“Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh condemned the terrorist operation in Tehran on Sunday that led to the martyrdom of Sayyad Khodaei, an honored Islamic Revolution Guards Corps colonel, offering condolences and congratulations to the families of the martyr and his fellow IRGC servicemen,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The spokesman said, “The sworn enemies of the holy establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran once again exposed their malevolent nature by assassinating and martyring one of the self-giving IRGC members.”

He added, “This inhumane crime was committed by terrorist elements tied to the global arrogance with the support of and amid the silence of the countries that claim to be countering terrorism.”

Noting that Iran has been a victim of terrorist crimes over the past four decades, Khatibzadeh added, “The inwardly blind terrorists make attempts, in vain, to block the progress of the great Iranian nation toward the realization of its lofty goals and hamper the people’s pursuit of dignity, while they remain ignorant of the fact the blood of these martyrs guarantees the survival and elevation of this nation and country.”

The assassination of Sayyad Khodaei happened at nearly 4 pm on Mojahedin Eslam Street in downtown Tehran on Sunday.

The gunmen riding two motorbikes opened fire on him while he was entering his house.

Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi also vowed revenge for the assassination. He blamed the world’s hegemons for the terrorist act.

The president said hegemonic powers “have a hand in this crime,” given their failure in the face of Iranian resistance soldiers, adding that the terrorist attack fully exposed the enemies’ frustration, according to Press TV.

He made the remarks on Monday before setting off for Muscat at the formal invitation of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.

He called on Iranian judicial authorities to seriously follow up on the assassination, underlining that revenge is certain on those who perpetrated the criminal act.

Nour News, a website close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reacted to the assassination in a Sunday tweet, saying the killing of the IRGC member was “miscalculated crossing of a red line that will change many calculations.”

“The masterminds and agents of this crime will pay a heavy price,” it added.