“This honorable martyr had been exposed to chemical agents during the Sacred Defense and had been suffering from the effects. He also contracted the coronavirus a few months ago, from which he recovered,” Sharif said Monday.

“A medical commission that formed yesterday at Baqiyatallah Hospital identified the cause of the martyrdom as the chemical effects,” he added.

In a statement on Sunday evening, the IRGC said that Gen. Hejazi had achieved the high degree of martyrdom and “joined the ranks of martyrs after years of tireless and sincere efforts in various fields to protect the Islamic Revolution and serve the establishment and the Islamic homeland”.

Gen. Hejazi, 65, was a veteran of Iraq’s imposed war on Iran in the 1980s, which lasted eight years. After the war, he served as the commander of Iran’s Basij volunteer force for ten years and as the deputy commander of the IRGC for a year.

He was named the deputy commander of the IRGC Quds Force after the former prominent commander of the force, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, was assassinated in a US airstrike in Baghdad in January 2020. He replaced Brigadier General Esmail Qa’ani, who was named the new commander of the force.

In the statement, the IRGC congratulated the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian nation, General Hejazi’s family, his comrades in arms in the IRGC and Basij, and fighters of the Resistance Front over his glorious martyrdom, but also extended its condolences on the loss.

Gen. Hejazi’s passing also prompted huge outpourings of condolences from top Iranian authorities and commanders, including Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeisi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Raeisi praised Hejazi as a “sincere and faithful commander” who put great efforts to help the Islamic Resistance Front.
“In addition to playing a role in the victory of the Revolution, commanding during the Sacred Defense (Iran-Iraq war) era and organizing the Basij force, General Hejazi was a ‘shining star of the Axis of Resistance,’” Qalibaf wrote in his message.

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According To Iran News, Commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) assured the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement that he will proceed with the strategy of his predecessor, Lt. General Qassem Soleimani, to support the Palestinian resistance forces.

In a message to leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah, Brigadier General Esmaeil Qa’ani paid tribute to former leader of Islamic Jihad Movement Ramadan Abdullah Shalah for devoting his life to resistance and efforts to liberate Palestine.

Commending the late Palestinian leader for his strenuous efforts in the fight against the Zionist regime, the Iranian general called on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement to follow the path of Ramadan Abdullah until the ultimate liberation of holy al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Brigadier General Qa’ani finally gave an assurance that he will stick to the strategy of Lt. General Qassem Soleimani and will stand by the Palestinian forces to strengthen the axis of resistance.

The former head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement died on June 7. Shalah was born in Gaza in 1958 and became the head of the movement in 1995 after the assassination of Fathi Shaqaqi.

Ziad al-Nakhala was chosen to lead the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement in 2018 because of Shalah’s illness.

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According To Iran News, The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement condemned the US for assassinating IRGC Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.

“Hamas mourns commander Soleimani and the Iraqi martyrs who were killed today by a US airstrike,” said Hamas in a statement on Friday.

The resistance group expressed its condolences to the Iraqi people for those killed in the airstrike.

Hamas also expressed condolences to the Iranian people on the “assassination of General Soleimani who provided various support to the Palestinian resistance.”

“We condemn such US policy of insolence and the continued US crimes which aim at creating chaos in the region for the benefit of the Zionist enemy,” the group added.

The statement also held the US responsible for the repercussions of the assassination in the entire region.

Major General Soleimani, the deputy head of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi (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 confirmed the assassination of General Soleimani in Iraq, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of US President Donald Trump.

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According To Iran News, A high-ranking Iranian military commander said the immediate appointment of a replacement for the IRGC Quds Force commander after the assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani reveals that his agenda will remain in place without any slowdown.

In an interview with Tasnim, President of the Supreme National Defense University of Iran Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s move to immediately appoint a commander for the IRGC Quds Force after the American assassination of Major General Soleimani signifies that the deceased’s mission “will go on vigorously and without any interruption.”

“Nobody should doubt that the martyr’s (Soleimani’s) approach may abate or subside,” added Vahidi, himself a one-time commander of the IRGC Quds Force.

He also praised Ayatollah Khamenei for his wise decision to appoint Brigadier General Esmael Qa’ani as the new commander of the IRGC Quds Force, saying the new commander that succeeds General Soleimani has considerable experiences and was in fact the best option for the post.

The immediate appointment of General Qa’ani, only hours after the martyrdom of General Soleimani, illustrates the significance of the matter for the Leader, Vahidi noted, saying such rapid appointment sends the message that all officials must follow General Soleimani’s plans strongly and without any interruption.

He also dismissed the American allegations that General Soleimani had plans to attack the American forces, stressing that the US must pay the price for assassinating the popular Iranian commander.

“We do not look for a war, but we’ll definitely seek to restore (our) rights and take revenge,” Vahidi underscored.

General Soleimani, the deputy head of Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha’abi, 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 confirmed 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.

Hours after the assassination, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Esmael Qa’ani as the new commander of the IRGC Quds Force, stressing that the Quds Force’s plans under the new commander would be the same as those under command of Martyr Soleimani.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Esmail Gha’ani as the new commander of IRGC Quds Force commander.

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Addressing a conference on media and the soft war in Tehran on Sunday, Major General Salami underlined the collapse of the US hegemonic system and said, “Today, they (Americans) admit that they have reached the point where the more they advance, the more they go downwards.” And the Islamic Revolution goes on its path.

“A power’s lack of strategy is the beginning of its gradual death and this is what has happened in the US,” the top commander added.

“The enemy is retreating and leaving the battlefield while the Islamic Revolution is advancing and this is the sign of victory,” Major General Salami went on to say.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said the Iranian media’s philosophy is “defending the oppressed and putting ourselves in danger to save others’ lives, adding that this philosophy will definitely emerge victorious.

The remarks came against the backdrop of increased tensions between Iran and the US after the Islamic Republic shot down an advanced US spy drone over its territorial waters and also recent attacks by Yemeni forces on Saudi oil facilities, with Washington and Riyadh claiming Iran was behind them.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said on June 20 that a US spy drone that violated the Iranian territorial airspace in the early hours of the day was shot down by the IRGC Aerospace Force’s air defense unit near the Kooh-e-Mobarak region in the southern province of Hormozgan.

The intruding drone was reportedly shot by Iran’s homegrown air defense missile system “Khordad-3rd”.

Tensions between the US and Iran escalated further after Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale operation against Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil installations last month, in response to the Saudi-led war on their country.

The Yemeni Houthi Ansarullah movement immediately took credit for the attacks, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo swiftly accused Iran of being behind the assault, without providing any evidence. Tehran categorically rejected the allegations.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia claimed that the strikes on its oil infrastructure came from the “north” and were “unquestionably” sponsored by Iran, adding that the Houthis were not responsible for the assault despite claiming it.

Shortly after the Saudi announcement, the spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, however, reiterated it was behind the weekend attack, stressing that the Houthis have new drones, powered by “normal and jet engines” that can reach targets deep in Saudi Arabia.

“Our forces have reached a high level of efficiency and ability. They can manufacture various types of unmanned aerial vehicles in record time. The Second Deterrent Balance Operation, which targeted Saudi oil installations, is a perfect example of the capabilities of our forces in terms of planning and implementation,” Brigadier General Yahya Saree said during a press conference in the capital Sana’a.

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The Israeli regime has conducted several attacks against Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon in the past few days, which Tel Aviv claims are aimed at targeting “Iranian” positions.

On Saturday night, Israel launched air raids against targets near the Syrian capital city of Damascus. The Israeli military claimed its strikes had prevented an attack on the Israeli-occupied territories “using killer drones.”

In a statement issued just minutes after the Israeli army announced its attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the military’s “major operational effort,” Press TV reported.

Iran, however, dismissed as mere “lies” the claim that “Iranian” targets have been hit by the Israeli attacks.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also said Sunday that Israeli missiles targeted one of Hezbollah’s civilian structures in the Damascus outskirts in Syria, dismissing Israeli officials’ allegations that the projectiles had hit an Iranian site there.

The Hezbollah chief also warned Israel against violating the Lebanese airspace, one day after two Israeli drones crashed in a southern neighborhood of Beirut.

Israel is also said to be behind a recent wave of air raids on positions of pro-government Iraqi forces.

Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki recently warned of a “strong response” if it is proven that the Israeli regime was behind the airstrikes in the country against the positions of pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

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