Iran has offered an $80 million bounty on US President Donald
Trump for the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in an
American drone strike, a media report said.
During the televised funeral procession of the top Iranian, official state broadcasters said on Sunday $1 would be tabled for every Iranian in the country, with the cash going to whoever kills the US President, mirror.co.uk said in the report.
“Iran has 80 million inhabitants. Based on the Iranian population, we want to raise $80 million which is a reward for those who get close to the head of President Trump,” it was announced.
The January 3 US drone attack ordered by Trump killed Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.
The attack took place on the Baghdad international airport’s road.
The attack has led to widespread condemnation in Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani has vowed revenge on the US.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian MP Abolfazl Aboutorabi threatened to attack the heart of American politics.
“We can attack the White House itself, we can respond to them on the American soil,” mirror.co.uk quoted Aboutorabi as saying.
“We have the power… We will respond in an appropriate time,” he said, adding “this is a declaration of war, which means if you hesitate you lose.”
During an open session of the Iranian Parliament on Sunday afternoon, President Trump was called a “terrorist in a suit” after he threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites hard if Tehran attacks Americans or US assets.
Meanwhile, American comedian, George Lopez has come under fire for leaving an inappropriate comment on an Instagram post about President Trump.
The pop culture Instagram account Chicano World Star posted erroneous claims that Iran had an $80 million bounty on Mr. Trump. “We’ll do it for half,” Lopez commented on the post.
The short comment received nearly 800 replies in less than 24 hours, and Lopez started trending on another social media platform, Twitter.
Some social media users thought Lopez’s joke about killing the president crossed a line, and that law enforcement or Secret Service should look into him. Many Twitter users also started using the hashtag #ArrestGeorgeLopez, and tagged the Secret Service in their posts.
Others felt there was a double standard, and that worse things have been said about Democratic politicians. Some also felt the comedian was just joking.
When a media outlet share an erroneous claim that there as an $80 million bounty on Trump’s head, Lopez said “we’ll do it for half.” @ChicanoWorldStar/Instagram
Aside from perpetuating violence against the president, Lopez, 58, also perpetuated a rumor. Some outlets reported Monday that Iran had put a bounty on Mr. Trump’s head after Qassem Soleimani — the head of Iran’s elite Quds military force and one of the most powerful figures in the Islamic Republic — was killed early Friday in an airstrike in Baghdad. However, these claims are unsubstantiated.
Gulf News, CBS News
