Iran’s embassy in China has won overwhelming attention from Chinese netizens, for its posts on the country’s retaliatory attacks on US military bases in Iraq, making it an “online celebrity” on social media.
“End of malign US presence in West Asia has begun,” announced the Iranian embassy on China’s Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo, which has been “liked, commented on and forwarded by netizens more than 412,694 times as of press time.
“Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) hit air base with surface-to-surface missiles in revenge for the dead major general. If the US retaliates, the US will get the strongest retaliation in return,” read another announcement on the embassy’s Weibo.
The embassy’s posts came after Iran fired rockets to hit US military bases in Iraq on early Wednesday morning, in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani who was killed in a US drone strike.
Some netizens said they could understand the country’s anger and criticized the US assassination of Soleimani, saying it “went too far.”
Some called on Iran and the US to remain calm and carry out peaceful talks to ease tensions instead of using force. Some said they were witnessing an historic incident.
“Please try to minimize the casualties of innocent people,” said a netizen.
The topics “US air bases in Iraq have been attacked” and “Iran says the attack was to revenge for Soleimani” were the first, second and third most trending topics on Weibo and have been viewed nearly 630 million times as of press time.
The US Embassy to China also posted Tuesday on Weibo remarks by the US President Donald Trump on the killing of Soleimani, but those posts received far fewer likes and comments, many of which mocked the US president.
The Wednesday announcement by the Iran’s embassy to China on Chinese twitter-like social media platform Sina Weibo. The annoucement says “End of malign US presence in West Asia has begun.” Photo: Screenshot of Sina Weibo
