In a telephone conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday night, Rouhani described the martyrdom of General Soleimani as “an unprecedented crime” by American officials and said, “We expect our neighbors and friendly governments to unanimously condemn this evil, criminal act.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never started any aggression… against (other countries) even the US,” he said, adding, “Iran’s actions have always been a response to the American aggression.”
The Afghan president, for his part, expressed his condolences to the Iranian people and government over the martyrdom of Major General Soleimani.
General Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the deputy head of Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha'abi (PMU), and a number of their entourage were killed in a strike by American drones near Baghdad International Airport in the early hours of Friday.
The White House and the Pentagon claimed responsibility for the assassination of General Soleimani in Iraq, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of US President Donald Trump.
In a message on Friday morning, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned that harsh revenge awaits the criminals behind the martyrdom of General Soleimani.
Ayatollah Khamenei also reminded all friends and enemies of the Iranian general that the resistance path will continue vigorously, stressing that continued battle and ultimate victory will disappoint the murderers and criminals.