Rouhani says Iran's final answer to Soleimani's 'assassination will be to kick all US forces'

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said that his country's final answer to the killing of Qasem Sulaimani, the commander of the country's elite Quds Force, will be to kick all US forces out of the region.

"General Soleimani fought heroically against ISIS, Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda, et al. If it weren't for his war on terror, European capitals would be in great danger now," the President tweeted.

"Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region," he said.

According to media reports, the killing of Soleimani in an airstrike ordered by the Pentagon near the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq was already described as an act of "both terrorism and war."

Hours after the 'beloved hero' of the Iranians was laid to rest on Tuesday, Iran fired dozens of missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for the American strike that killed a top Iranian general last week.

The early morning attack presents US President Donald Trump with the biggest test of his presidency to date.

A US official told CNN that there were no initial reports of any US casualties from the attack, but an assessment of the impact of the strikes is underway.

Iraq's joint military command said there were no casualties among Iraqi military forces.

"Between 1:45 am and 2:45 am, Iraq came under an attack of 22 missiles," the Iraqi military said in a statement.

"All missiles struck coalition bases," it added.

Trump later tweeted, "All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties and damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well-equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning."

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a televised address to the nation today, said that Iran gave the US "a slap in the face last night," in reference to the attacks.

He added that America had cast Soleimani as a "terrorist," which was "unjust and unfair."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), an elite wing of the Iranian military, said in a statement that the attacks on Iraqi bases were "hard revenge" for the death of Soleimani.

The IRGC said any country housing US troops could be subject to "hostile and aggressive acts" and called on American citizens to demand the government remove US troops from the region.

It warned the US: "If you repeat your wickedness or take any additional movements or make additional aggression, we will respond with more painful and crushing responses."

Iraq received "an official verbal message" from Iran about the missile attack shortly before midnight on Wednesday, according to a statement from Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi.

He said that Iraq was told that: "The strike would be limited to the whereabouts of the US military in Iraq, without giving the exact location." Once they received the warning, Iraqi military leaders were warned "to take the necessary precautions."

Soleimani's death marked a dramatic escalation in tension between the US and Iran, that has often been at a fever pitch since Trump, in 2018, chose to unilaterally withdraw Washington from the 2015 nuclear pact the world powers had struck with Tehran.