Iranian army chief: “The war with the U.S. is not over” — Iran “stood unshaken” after Khamenei’s killing

“The war is not over; we have won, but we must consolidate this victory, and the aggressive enemy, which has suffered defeat, is looking for a chance for revenge and retribution,” said Major General Amir Hatami, chief of the Iranian army, quoted by state media, as Al Jazeera reports.

Hatami stressed that the idea that the government would fall after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28 — the first day of the war — had been “dismantled” by the nation. “It was under this flag that everyone stood unshaken — students and clerics, soldiers and the general public — each holding firmly to the rope of God,” he was quoted as saying.

According to him, “through their presence and steadfastness, the Iranian nation inspired the armed forces, defeated the enemy and showed the world a new face of a nation. They proved that this nation is invincible and cannot be defeated.”

“We are proud to be soldiers of a country that today stands against the embodied evil of the United States and its representatives,” Hatami added.

The statements come as Tehran awaits Washington’s official response to the 7-day plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which President Trump rejected.