PHOTO: Supreme Leader’s military advisor, General Yahya Rahim Safavi
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A top aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader has warned Turkey of consequences over its downing of a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border on Tuesday.
General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the senior military advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei, told Basij militia on Thursday, “In addition to [providing] assistance to hired terrorists for five years and causing insecurity in Syria and Iraq, [Turkey] committed a strategic mistake in this incident and these issues will definitely cost Turkey dearly.”
Rahim Safavi portrayed “an unjust war” by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan against a front comprising Iran, Syria’s Assad regime, Iraq, Russia, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Until Thursday, Iran had held back from criticism, letting Russia take the lead in the response to Tuesday’s incident. President Rouhani had called on both Russia and Turkey to ease tensions, while uphold Iranian and Russian support of the Assad regime against “terrorism”.
Iran Confirms Death of Former Ambassador To Lebanon in Mecca Stampede
Tehran has confirmed the death of its former Ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, in October’s stampede at the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian offered condolences to Roknabadi’s family on behalf of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The body was finally identified after DNA tests.
The disappearance of Roknabadi after the incident had added to Iranian-Saudi tensions, with Tehran’s officials accusing the Saudis of abducting the former Ambassador or keeping him secluded in a hospital.
Saudi Arabia has officially said that 776 people died in the stampede when two groups converged on narrow streets at Mina, near Mecca, for the Stoning of the Devil ceremony. Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization says about 4.700 people — including 464 Iranians — died.
