Iran will punish Americans wherever they are within its reach in retaliation for the killing of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, a senior Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander said.
General Gholamali Abuhamzeh, the commander of the Guards in the southern province of Kerman, said Iran reserved the right to take revenge against the United States for the death of Soleimani.
He made the comments late Friday but they were reported on Saturday by Tasnim news agency.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there … vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since long time ago ... some 35 US targets in the region as well as Tel Aviv are within our reach," he said, according to Reuters.
The deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards said Washington had asked Tehran to respond "in proportion.”
The Americans "resorted to diplomatic measures... on Friday morning", the Guard's Rear-Admiral Ali Fadavi said on Iranian state television that night.
They "even said that if you want to get revenge, get revenge in proportion to what we did", he said, as quoted on the broadcaster's website, according to Agence France Presse.
Fadavi did not specify how Iran had received the message, even though Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations for four decades.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in separate television interview on Friday night that "Switzerland's envoy transmitted a foolish message from the Americans this morning".
The Swiss official "was summoned in the evening and received a decisive response in writing... to the Americans' audacious letter," Zarif added.
.jpg?w=600)
