Chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Saturday said that Iran will avenge the killing of General Qasem Soleimani. But Guards’ chief Major General Hossein Salami maintained that the Guards would do it in an “honourable” retaliation

Soleimani, who headed the Guards elite Qods Force, was killed in an American airstrike near Baghdad airport in January. He was an influential person and key to Iran’s defence apparatus that projected influence in the region beyond its borders.

A US media report, quoting unnamed officials, said Iran plans in retaliation to assassinate the American ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, before the presidential election in November.

US President Donald Trump threatened Iran this week with a “thousand times stronger” response in case of any attack on his country, following the report.

South Africa’s state security agency said Friday it had found no evidence of such a plot against Marks.

Guards’ chief Major General Hossein Salami retorted to the US president.

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“Mr. Trump, our revenge for the martyrdom of our great commander is certain, serious and real, but we are honourable and take revenge with fairness and justice,” he said, quoted by the Guard’s official website Sepahnews.

“You think we would strike at a woman ambassador to South Africa for the blood of our martyr brother? We will target those who were directly or indirectly involved in the martyrdom of this great man,” he said.

“You should know, that we will target whoever was involved … and this is a serious message.”

Relations between Washington and Tehran have been tense ever since the Islamic revolution of 1979.

In days after Qasem Soleimani’s killing, Iran had shot missiles at bases in Iraq housing US troops. However, Trump had refrained from any further military response.

(With AFP inputs)