Jazmin Li
On January 3, 2020, US President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, killing Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, a covert section of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The drone strike also killed five Iraqi and four Iranian nationals, came amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with the Pentagon accusing Soleimani of orchestrating attacks on coalition bases and approving the US embassy attack in Baghdad. Trump defended his decision, stating that Soleimani was planning attacks on American targets, and the strike was a decisive defensive action to deter future attacks. However, the assassination sparked international concern about a potential new war in the Middle East and retaliation from Iran.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 2020 |
| Location | Baghdad International Airport, Iraq |
| Target | Iranian Major General Qasem/Qassem Soleimani |
| Other Casualties | Five Iraqi nationals and four Iranian nationals, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis |
| Reason | To prevent Soleimani from carrying out attacks on American diplomats and service members in Iraq and the region |
| Weapon | MQ-9 Reaper drone |
| Aftermath | Heightened tensions between the US and Iran, warnings for US citizens to leave Iraq, thousands of mourners in Tehran |
| Trump's Response | "We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war." |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani
- The strike was a response to a series of attacks by the US and Iran
- The Pentagon blamed Soleimani for the deaths of hundreds of Americans
- The strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks
- The assassination heightened tensions in the Middle East
Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani
On January 3, 2020, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport, Iraq. The killing was ordered by then-US President Donald Trump. Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force, an elite, external wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, designated as a terrorist organization by the US and European Parliament.
Soleimani was considered the second most powerful person in Iran, subordinate only to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He was central to almost all of Iran's activities, and his death left the region on the brink of a new wave of violence. Five Iraqi nationals and four Iranian nationals were also killed in the strike, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, commander of the Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia and deputy chairman of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The drone strike was carried out by an MQ-9 Reaper drone of the US Air Force, which launched several missiles at Soleimani's motorcade, engulfing two cars in flames. US Special Operations forces (SOF) were on the scene within minutes and performed a bomb damage assessment, taking pictures of the general's body and his belongings.
The Pentagon justified the killing by stating that Soleimani and his troops were "responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more". They also accused the Iranian general of planning further attacks on American diplomats and military personnel and approving the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad. Trump asserted that the strike was a "decisive defensive action" aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks.
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The strike was a response to a series of attacks by the US and Iran
The US drone strike on Baghdad airport, which killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, was the culmination of a series of attacks and retaliations between the US and Iran. Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force, a covert section of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, designated a terrorist organisation by the US. The Trump administration viewed Soleimani as a ruthless killer, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and their allies.
The Pentagon blamed Soleimani for attacks on coalition bases in Iraq, including a strike on December 27 that resulted in the death of an American contractor. This was followed by a siege of the US embassy in Baghdad by a mob of PMF militants, which the Pentagon accused Soleimani of orchestrating. The US responded with airstrikes on camps run by a PMF-affiliated militia, closely aligned with Tehran.
The strike on Baghdad airport was framed by the White House as an act of self-defence and a "decisive defensive" action aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the strike had thwarted an "imminent" attack, while Trump asserted that Soleimani was planning further strikes on American targets.
The assassination of Soleimani escalated tensions between the US and Iran, with Iran promising revenge and holding three days of national mourning. The strike also had broader geopolitical implications, with the UK and Australia warning their nationals to avoid travel to Iraq and Iran.
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The Pentagon blamed Soleimani for the deaths of hundreds of Americans
On January 3, 2020, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed by an American drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Soleimani was the commander of the Quds Force, an elite, external wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, designated as a terrorist organization by the US and European Parliament.
The Pentagon blamed Soleimani and his troops for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more. They accused the Quds Force of being responsible for these deaths. Soleimani was considered the second most powerful person in Iran, subordinate only to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and was central to almost all of Iran's actions.
The drone strike also killed five Iraqi nationals and four other Iranian nationals, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chairman of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and commander of the Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia. The PMF was a local ally of Soleimani and had been involved in a two-day siege of the US embassy in Baghdad prior to the drone strike.
The strike was carried out to deter future attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, as Soleimani had allegedly approved the attack on the American embassy in Baghdad and was believed to be planning further attacks. The White House framed the action as a "decisive defensive action" and an act of self-defense in the context of counter-terrorism operations.
The assassination of Soleimani escalated tensions between the US and Iran, leaving Iraq and the region on the brink of a potential new upsurge in violence. The funeral procession for Soleimani, al-Muhandis, and the other Iraqis and Iranians killed in the strike was held in Baghdad on January 4, 2020, and was attended by thousands of mourners.
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The strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks
On 3 January 2020, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force, a covert section of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and European Parliament.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNN that the strike had thwarted an "imminent" attack in the region, but he declined to give any details on the intelligence. Brian Hook, the State Department's special representative for Iran, suggested that "American personnel and facilities in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and beyond" were the planned targets.
Trump defended the strike, saying: "We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war...He [Soleimani] was planning a very major attack and we got him." The White House put out a statement saying the strike was a "decisive defensive action" carried out "at the direction of the president".
The strike escalated tensions between the US and Iran, with Iran holding three days of national mourning and thousands of demonstrators marching in Tehran and other cities to protest the strike, shouting "Death to America" and "Revenge, revenge, revenge".
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The assassination heightened tensions in the Middle East
On January 3, 2020, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on the direction of US President Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force, an elite, external wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.
The strike was framed by the White House as an act of self-defence and a "decisive defensive action". However, critics, including Democratic senator Chris Murphy, argued that assassinating a foreign political official would lead to more Americans being killed. The US embassy in Baghdad urged Americans to leave Iraq immediately, and Australia and Britain issued similar warnings to their nationals.
The funeral procession for Soleimani and the other Iraqi and Iranian nationals killed in the strike was held in Baghdad on January 4, 2020, and was attended by thousands of mourners. The assassination of Soleimani left Iraq and the region on the brink of a new upsurge in violence, with unpredictable moves and counter-moves by Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump ordered an airstrike on Baghdad airport to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who was viewed as a ruthless killer by the Trump administration.
Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed in the bombing, along with five Iraqi nationals and four other Iranian nationals.
The bombing led to protests in Tehran and other Iranian cities, with demonstrators carrying images of the slain commander and shouting "Death to America" and "Revenge, revenge, revenge". Iran held three days of national mourning, and the US embassy in Baghdad urged Americans to leave Iraq immediately.
