Tasnim – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Lebanese counterparts, Gebran Bassil, exchanged views about the latest developments after the US move to assassinate Iran’s Major General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.

In a telephone conversation on Sunday night, Bassil expressed his condolences to the Iranian nation and government over the martyrdom of Gen. Soleimani.

The two top diplomats held talks on the latest developments in the region and the world after the assassination of the Iranian top commander.

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.