Hawzah News  Agency - (Tehran - Iran) - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said Iran’s early morning retaliation against US assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani was just “a slap”.

“A slap was delivered last night, but what is important is that the seditious presence of America in the region should be ended,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on Wednesday.

The Leader's remarks, broadcast live on national television, came hours after Iran's retaliation against the US assassination of the Middle East's most prominent anti-terror commander and his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran is quite equipped in the face of global bullying powers.

The Leader hailed the Iraqi parliament's decision ordering US troops to leave the country as well as the Iranian parliament's blacklisting of American forces as terrorists.

"The Americans want Iraq to be like the former idolatrous regime in Iran or Saudi Arabia today - a region full of oil to be under their control so they can do whatever they want - a milking cow in the words of that individual," he said in reference to US President Donald Trump.