Iran�s President Hassan Rouhani says Washington�s aggressiveness has always been there through violating the rights of nations by keeping away from commitment to any of its political, legal and moral obligations.

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In a phone call with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday, Rouhani reiterated that the United States has never been trustworthy.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has never triggered any trend of aggression or tension, even against the US, and Tehran always acts in response to the US aggressive behavior," the Iranian president said.

Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), was assassinated in an inhumane operation by the US military upon an order from Donald Trump, the president of the United States, during the early hours of Friday.

It was a heartbreaking incident for the Iranian nation, Rouhani stated, and a crime the like of which Washington had never committed before.

"We expect our friendly and neighboring countries to unanimously condemn this criminal and evil act."

General Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq�s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were martyred outside the Baghdad International Airport.

In all, 10 people, five Iraqis and five Iranians, were assassinated. Soleimani�s flight had arrived from Syria, which led to speculations that Israeli intelligence had a hand in the assassination.

The Afghan president, for his part, offered his condolences and expressed sympathy of the Afghan government and nation with the Iranian people.

Ghani stressed the importance of preserving common interests of the two countries in the region. "Iran�s security is our security and Afghanistan�s government and nation are trying to establish peace and stability."

In a meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Tehran on Saturday, President Rouhani said the United States is accountable for any consequences of its act of terror, stressing that Washington will pay a heavy price.

"The Americans have unfortunately taken a new path that can be very precarious for the region. So, closer consultations and coordination among friendly countries are necessary," Rouhani said.

LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/12509

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