Reacting to the killing of the IRGC Qods force commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. strike on January 2, President Rouhani emphasised that "there is no doubt that the great nation of Iran and the other free nations of the region will take revenge on this gruesome crime from criminal America".  In a statement, the IRGC claimed that Soleimani's killing "open[s] a new chapter in the path of anti-Zionism resistance and fighting occupying American terrorists in the region". Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, insisted that “the U.S.'s act of international terrorism, targeting and assassinating General Soleimani – the most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), al-Nusrah, al-Qaeda et al – is extremely dangerous and a foolish escalation. The U.S. bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism”.