Obviously, Iran cannot leave unanswered the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, expert Vardan Voskanyan told Armenian News - NEWS.am.

"Soleimani was a legendary man and one of those exceptional people who was sympathetic to all sectors of the Iranian population, considering him one of the most important carriers of the Iranian tradition. And the military assassination of such a scale, which, according to some information, was planned by the US, caused serious discontent within Iranian society regarding the US. I am in Iran now and dissatisfaction is noticeable in the circle of ordinary people. On the other hand, this murder played a certain unifying role for Iranian society. A certain consolidation process is going on inside the country around pan-Iranian, nationalist ideas," Voskanyan said. He believes that after the assassination, the already strained US-Iran relations will be further exacerbated.

"It is clear that Tehran cannot leaver assassination unanswered. I think practical steps can be expected from Iran. They may not be taken very quickly, but practical steps will certainly be," the expert noted. "In Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Yemen and other countries of the Middle East, actions were taken against the US. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, the murder of the commander will strengthen Iran’s position in the above-mentioned countries, since Soleimani was loved outside Iran, in different countries of the Middle East," he said.

Speaking about the steps taken by Armenia in this situation, he emphasized: “The official condolences of official Yerevan to the Iranian authorities and people should be the first step, and at least meetings should be held on the political platform, because tension between Washington and Tehran is expected to increase. And in the event of growth of such tension, Armenia will face new challenges and risks, which we must be able to manage and provide some positive results for us. ”