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After the State Security Agency (SSA) said there is no credible threat against the US ambassador to South Africa at this time, Iranian comments on Saturday confirmed that Lana Marks was not a target.
This follows reports this week that the Islamic Republic of Iran was said to be considering a plan to kill Marks.
According to Politico, US officials are aware of a threat against Marks in apparent retaliation for the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by the United States in January 2020.
The SSA released a statement saying that after the South African high government met with its US counterparts, as well as other relevant stakeholders, there is not enough information to substantiate the threat allegation.
South African officials have requested additional information from the US government. Once the information is received, the facts will be reviewed and reevaluated.
“Our sovereignty and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance to the South African government and its people. In this regard, the South African government takes any alleged threat seriously and thus we have increased our security / alert situation. It is our duty to protect all diplomatic missions and their personnel present in South Africa.
Iranian Guards Vow Soleimani’s Revenge
On Saturday, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Tehran will take revenge for the US assassination of Soleimani by targeting only those involved, in “honorable” retaliation.
Soleimani, who led the Guards’ elite Qods Force, was killed in a US airstrike near the Baghdad airport in January.
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran this week with a response “a thousand times stronger” in the event of any attack on his country, following the report.
The head of the Guard, Major General Hossein Salami, responded to the President of the United States.
“Mr. Trump, our revenge for the martyrdom of our great commander is true, serious and real, but we are honorable and we avenge ourselves with fairness and justice,” he said, quoted by the official website of the Guard, Sepahnews.
Do you think we would attack an ambassador to South Africa for the blood of our martyr brother? We will target those who were directly or indirectly involved in the martyrdom of this great man, ”he said.
“You should know that we will be reaching out to those involved … and this is a serious message.”
Soleimani was killed in a drone airstrike, along with a senior Iraqi commander. Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.
Days later, Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Iraqi bases that house US and coalition troops, but Trump refrained from further military response.
Relations between Washington and Tehran have been strained since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
They have deteriorated dramatically since Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark international nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions.
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