Baghdad Drone Strike Killed Iran General Qassem Soleimani

In the early hours of January 3, 2020, powerful general Qassem Suleimani was killed following a drone strike ordered by Trump in Baghdad. Suleimani was known as the leader of Iranian military operations in Syria and Iraq. He was reportedly targeted while moving from Baghdad airport, accompanied by the Popular Mobilisation Units. The attack also killed Abhu Mahdi al-Muhandes, PMU’s deputy head, and a close Suleimani associate.

A Pentagon statement read: “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.”

Just minutes before the official statement was issued, Trump posted on his Twitter account a US flag. The White House later released a statement about the strike stating that it was a defensive action at the order of the president.

Iran confirmed the death of general Suleimani and said that the US would have to deal with the consequences.

On Twitter, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, said: “The US’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.”

Suleimani was the powerful leader of the Quds Force, which was announced as a terror organization by the Trump administration in April 2019. The Pentagon statement claimed that the US was responsible for the drone strike while accusing the Quds Force of taking away the lives of hundreds of US soldiers and wounding thousands more.

Before his death, Suleimani was considered to be Iran’s second most powerful individual. Just behind Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, the Supreme Leader and even more powerful than President Hassan Rouhani.

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