Iran retaliates with 'slap in the face' missile strike on U.S. troops

Iran has fired missiles at U.S.-led forces in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of top commander Qassem Soleimani last week.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it 'a slap in the face', but it's unclear if the cycle of revenge stops there.

Iran has fired missiles at U.S.-led forces in iraq in retailiation for the assassination of its top military commander last week.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called the attack early Wednesday "a slap in the face" for Washington.

And said -- to cries of "death to America" from his audience -- that U.S. troops should get out of the Middle East.

(SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI, SAYING: "Military action like this is not sufficient.

What is important is ending the corrupt presence of America in the region." Celebrations of the missile strikes on the streets of Tehran.

The question is whether the cycle of revenge stops here.

Iranian officials said the country doesn't want war and the attack concluded the country's much-feared vengeance for Qassem Soleimani's killing by the United States.

Details were murky.

Iranian TV said 15 missiles killed 80, quote, "American terrorists", but one source said there were no casualties.

While U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted "All is well" and "so far, so good".

Soleimani was one of Iran's most powerful figures as head of the elite Quds force, and his death stoked fears of a new Middle East war.

After days of mourning, Iran announced the strikes at his burial on Wednesday.

For now though, the ball may be in Washington's court.

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif: (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, SAYING: "Well we've said very clearly that if the United States takes any further action, Iran will respond accordingly and we will respond in a very harsh way, but proportionally." Trump -- who was impeached last month and faces an election this year -- threatened at the weekend to target 52 Iranian sites if Iran retaliated for Soleimani's death.