The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has warned that “divine revenge” against the United States and Israel was “not far away,” in a statement issued to mark the funeral of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.In a message on Saturday, IRGC Navy Chief Commander Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei said he and all IRGC Navy personnel “pledge to God that, by following the ideals of the martyrs, we will continue the path of the martyred leader of the Ummah with strength and steadfastness.”“We have firm hope that divine retribution against the terrorist America and the illegitimate Zionist regime is not far off,” he said, according to Iranian state media.Ozmaei also talked about the late leader, describing him as “the man of the arenas of patience and insight” and “the steadfast voice of truth against the storm of falsehood,” saying that although he has “now found rest in divine mercy,” his name, memory, path and “pure blood” will remain alive among the nation.The commander said the funeral ceremony was not a farewell but “a renewed pledge” to his ideals, faith and resolve, praising him for defending the dignity of the Islamic Ummah and standing firmly against “the front of disbelief and arrogance” throughout his life.“Those who committed this crime believed they could halt the path of truth, but instead they exposed themselves to history’s condemnation and to the wrath and severe retribution of this nation,” Ozmaei said, referring to Khamenei’s killing.Ozmaei appears to be the replacement for Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in March.The warning comes as Iran prepares for the burial of Khamenei on Thursday in Mashhad, with authorities bracing for up to 3,000 potential deaths during the massive funeral processions.
