Iran raises “red flag” on the mosque of the city of Qom vowing to retaliate after the US killed general Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike in Baghdad.
Iranian state television broadcast on Saturday at the revered Jamkaran Mosque in the Holy City of Qom the flag was hoisted over the minarets.
Iranians today lifted the ‘blood-red revenge flags’ and threatened to retaliate in an airstrike in Baghdad after the US killed General Qassem Soleimani.
In Shia Islam, the red flags, which were also flown in Tehran during demonstrations, symbolize unjustly spilled blood and serve as an appeal to avenge the slain person.
Read More: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei warns US of a hard revenge
This comes as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei and President Hassan Rouhani last night consoled the distraught kids of Soleimani at home, telling them that the commander would be avenged.
When the flag was raised in Qom, the speakers of the mosque called ‘O Allah, hasten your custodian’s reappearance’, a reference to the Mahdi’s reappearance in the end times.
The Mahdi is a divine figure in Shia Islam, Iran’s religion, who promises to bring a Judgment Day and rid the world of evil.
According to local reports, the red flag has been raised over the building for the first time in the history of the Qom mosque-a holy site since the Middle Ages.
‘Who will avenge the blood of my father?’ Asked one of the daughters of the commander.
Rouhani told her in response that ‘everyone will take revenge and assured her as she wept, ‘we will, we will avenge his blood, don’t worry. ‘
“The Americans did not realize what a serious mistake they made. Not only today, but throughout the years to come, they will suffer the consequences of such criminal action,” Rouhani said.
Read More: The Elusive General: Death of Qassem Soleimani and the aftermath
This U.S. crime will go down in history as one of their memorable crimes against the country of Iran, he added.
Media sources have reported that rocket attacks on airbase carrying US military as well as rockets have been fired towards the US embassy in Baghdad.
Two rockets have landed in the vicinity of the US embassy in Baghdad while 3 hit have hit Balad Airbase.
