After the American and Iranian presidents engaged in a war of words, President Hassan Rouhani decided to step back, saying of Trump’s tweets, “There is no need to respond and go back and forth with them.” But then, just as there seemed to be a lull in tensions, Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani addressed President Donald Trump directly.
During a July 26 speech in the city of Hamedan commemorating Operation Ramadan from the Iran-Iraq War, Soleimani directed his words at Trump over his threats, saying, “It is not at the level of our president to respond to you. I will respond to you as a soldier.” Quoting part of Trump’s tweet, Soleimani said, “You threaten us with action that has no precedence in history. This is the language of a cabaret. Only a cabaret owner talks like this with the world.”