On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that a “harsh retaliation is waiting” for the US after an American airstrike on a pair of cars at Baghdad’s airport and killed Qassem Soleimani, the powerful head of Iran’s elite Quds force.

Read: Iran’s top commander Qasem Soleimani killed in US strike

The Iranian state TV carried a statement by Khamenei calling Soleimani “the international face of resistance.” Khamenei declared three-day public mourning for the general’s death.

The Iranian nation will honor the memory of the noble Major-General Soleimani & the martyrs with him—particularly the great Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis— & I declare 3 days of mourning across the nation. I condole & congratulate his family. /5
Sayyed Ali Khamenei
Jan 3, 2020

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 3, 2020

Khamenei wrote on his Farsi-language Twitter account in reference to Soleimani that,

“Martyrdom was the reward for his ceaseless efforts all these years.”

“With him gone, God willing, his work and his path will not be stopped, but severe revenge awaits the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood and other martyrs in last night’s incident.”

Dear Iranian Nation!
Years of sincere, brave efforts fighting against the devils& villainous in the world & yrs of wishing for martyrdom on the path of God finally took the dear Commander of Islam, Soleimani, to this lofty status. His blood was shed by the most barbaric of men./1

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 3, 2020

Describing martyrdom as a reward for Major General Soleimani’s life time efforts, the Leader underlined that the revered commander’s path would be continued.

We congratulate Imam Mahdi (‘a.j.) & Soleimani’s pure soul& condole the Iranian nation on this great martyrdom. He was an eminent example of a person trained in Islam. He spent all his life in struggling for God. Martyrdom was the reward for his tireless efforts over the years./2

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 3, 2020

“However, a harsh revenge awaits the criminals who have the blood of him (General Soleimani) and the other martyrs of last night’s incident on their hands.”

His efforts & path won’t be stopped by his martyrdom, by God’s Power, rather a #SevereRevenge awaits the criminals who have stained their hands with his & the other martyrs’ blood last night. Martyr Soleimani is an Intl figure of Resistance & all such people will seek revenge. /3

— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) January 3, 2020

Ayatollah Khamenei also told all Iranian general’s friends and enemies that the road of resistance would continue aggressively, emphasizing that the murderers and criminals would be frustrated by the continued war and ultimate victory.