Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami warned on Monday that crimes, assassinations and foolish terrorist acts will not remain unanswered.






"We chase the criminals to the end," General Hatami said at a�funeral procession held here Monday morning for Mohsen Fakhrizadeh,�head of the Research and Innovation Organization of Iran's Ministry of Defense, who was assassinated in a town nearby Tehran on Friday.

Fakhrizadeh was assassinated on November 27 when a car bomb exploded near his vehicle and a number of terrorists opened fire on him afterward, according to Hatami's recent remarks.

The criminals should know that they will be punished, Hatami said at the funeral ceremony today.

"First to investigate this crime and firmly prosecute its perpetrators and its commanders, second to continue the martyr�s scientific and technological efforts in all the sectors where he was active," Khamenei.ir quoted the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as speaking about the incident.

Today, Iran bids farewell to dear Fakhrizadeh but promises to follow his goals as the Supreme Leader has ordered, Hatami stressed.

He further sympathized with the Iranian nation and national nuclear and scientific society over the martyrdom of Fakhrizadeh.

The minister went on to say that the enemies were after fading the name of "our dear martyr" away; meanwhile, he is now well-known to the world and turned into a model for all freedom-seekers across the globe.

The enemies tried in vain to persuade others that Fakhrizadeh was moving against the interests of the Iranian nation, but the Iranian scientist introduced Iran as the founder of a peaceful nuclear program, the minister stressed.

As Hatami stressed, Iran faces an enemy that has threatened it in the past four decades with "military option on the table"; but has neither dared to use it got an opportunity to use it.

Iran moves in the path of progress and will become stronger, the defense minister noted.

He further said that the Ministry of Intelligence, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Police and Judiciary are investigating the case and will punish the criminals.

Also, General Hatami thanked those nations and governments which extended condolences over the incident and expressed their hatred towards such actions.

But, those who did not take stances on this assassination should know that the more they keep silent, the bolder the terrorists will become, he underlined.

Iran will continue its way to fight terrorists whether they are in Syria, Iraq or any other places in the region, he concluded.

Iranian officials have repeatedly announced that they are present in Syria and Iraq under the demand of those states to help them counter terrorists.