Owais Crawford
Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on 3 January 2020. Soleimani was a powerful military figure in Iran, responsible for extraterritorial and clandestine military operations, and played a key role in the Syrian Civil War. He was in Iraq on a trip to meet with politicians and military allies, which may have included coordinating attacks on US targets. The US strike was reportedly carried out to deter future attacks and prevent potential retaliation by Soleimani, who had previously been designated as a terrorist by the US.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 2020 |
| Time | 12:32 a.m. |
| Location | Baghdad International Airport |
| Aircraft | MQ-9 Reaper drone |
| Target | Qasem Soleimani |
| Nationality | Iranian |
| Position | Major General |
| Organisation | Revolutionary Guards Quds Force |
| Accompanying Individuals | Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, leader of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces |
| Vehicle | Toyota Avalon and Hyundai Starex |
| Outcome | Death of Soleimani and nine others |
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What You'll Learn
Qasem Soleimani was a powerful Iranian military figure
Soleimani was the commander of the Quds Force, a division within the IRGC responsible for extraterritorial and clandestine military operations. He played a significant role in the Syrian Civil War by securing Russian intervention. He was also involved in supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which has led to widespread displacement and deaths. Soleimani was considered a key figure in Iran's foreign and defence policies and was often referred to as the single most powerful operative in the Middle East. He was also alleged to have strengthened relationships with groups like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Soleimani was viewed favorably by a majority of Iranians, with polls indicating an 82% favorable rating as of October 2019. He was considered the second most powerful person in Iran, behind Ayatollah Khamenei, and was described as Khamenei's right-hand man. Soleimani was a legendary figure in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and the region, with supporters intensely loyal to him. He was also feared and despised by those affected by the policies he implemented.
On January 3, 2020, Soleimani was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport. He was on a trip to Iraq to meet with politicians and military allies, with a secret component to coordinate attacks on American troops. The U.S. Department of Defense stated that the strike was carried out to deter future attacks planned by Soleimani. The assassination of Soleimani caused alarm worldwide, raising tensions between the U.S. and Iran and leading to fears of Iranian retaliation.
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He was in Iraq to meet politicians and military allies
Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on 3 January 2020. Soleimani was a powerful military figure in Iran, a leader of commandos and spies across several countries. He was in Iraq on a trip to meet politicians and military allies.
Soleimani had arrived at the airport on an Airbus A320 Cham Wings plane from Damascus International Airport. He and other pro-Iranian paramilitary figures, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, entered a Toyota Avalon and Hyundai Starex and departed the airport towards downtown Baghdad. As they were leaving, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone launched several missiles, striking the convoy and engulfing the two cars in flames. Ten people were killed, including Soleimani and al-Muhandis.
Soleimani's trip to Iraq likely had a secret component. According to reports, he had met with Shiite militia leaders in October to coordinate attacks on US targets in Iraq, using sophisticated new weapons provided by Iran. The aim was to trigger a US reprisal that would refocus public anger from Iran to the US. This campaign was delegated to al-Muhandis, who led the militia that carried out rocket attacks on Americans at Iraqi bases.
The killing of Soleimani caused alarm worldwide, raising tensions between the US and Iran and sparking fears of Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region. The US Department of Defense stated that the strike was carried out at the direction of the president to deter future attacks, as Soleimani had been planning further attacks on American diplomats and military personnel.
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There was a secret component to his trip: coordinating attacks on US troops
The assassination of Qasem Soleimani, Iran's most powerful military figure, by the US in 2020 has been a significant event in the four-decade feud between Washington and Tehran. Soleimani was on a trip to Iraq to meet politicians and military allies when he was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad International Airport.
The drone strike that killed Soleimani was highly secretive, with even the US military's spy satellites unaware of its position. The strike was carried out to deter future attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, as Soleimani had approved the attack on the American embassy in Baghdad and was planning further attacks.
The killing of Soleimani raised tensions between the US and Iran, with fears of Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region escalating into a larger conflict. The US deployed additional troops to the region as a precautionary measure and the UK announced that the Royal Navy would accompany UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
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The US killed Soleimani with a drone strike at Baghdad Airport
On 3 January 2020, Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force, a branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and European Parliament.
Soleimani was travelling in a convoy with officials from Iran-backed militias when their cars were hit by several missiles. The Pentagon stated that Soleimani and his troops were "responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members". US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani, stating that it was a "decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad".
Soleimani had recently arrived in Baghdad and was on his way to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. He was on a not-so-secret trip to meet with politicians and military allies, but it is believed that he also had a secret component to his trip: to coordinate an intensifying campaign of rocket strikes against American troops based in Iraq.
The killing of Soleimani caused alarm worldwide, with fears of Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region. The targeted killing raised tensions between the US and Iran, and many experts believe it escalated the risk of a larger conflict. The day after the strike, the US announced the deployment of 3,500 members of the 82nd Airborne Division to the region, one of the largest rapid deployments in decades.
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The killing escalated tensions between the US and Iran
The killing of Qasem Soleimani, a powerful Iranian military figure, by the US escalated the already tense relationship between the two countries. Soleimani was the commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, and his death caused alarm worldwide, with fears of Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region sparking concerns of a far larger conflict.
The assassination was conducted in secrecy, with not even the US military's spy satellites aware of the drone's position as it made its way to Baghdad International Airport. The strike was ordered by US President Donald Trump, who asserted that Soleimani had been planning further attacks on American diplomats and military personnel and had approved the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad.
The day after the Baghdad airport attack, the US Department of Defense announced the deployment of 3,500 members of the 82nd Airborne Division to the region, one of the largest rapid deployments in decades. Defense officials claimed this was a "precautionary action" due to increased threat levels against US personnel and facilities. In response, Iran vowed revenge, and media reports suggested that a UK nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk missiles was ready to strike Iran if tensions escalated.
The targeted killing of Soleimani raised concerns about the potential for further escalation and the possibility of a larger conflict between the US and Iran. The US-Iran relationship has been fraught with tension and hostility for decades, and this incident marked a significant escalation that put the two countries on a path unlike any other in their four-decade feud.
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Frequently asked questions
Qasem Soleimani was at Baghdad International Airport after arriving from Damascus International Airport. He was in Iraq on a trip to meet with politicians and military allies.
Qasem Soleimani was a Major General and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, an IRGC division responsible for extraterritorial and clandestine military operations. He was considered the second-most powerful person in Iran, behind the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei.
Soleimani was killed at the airport in an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump. A US MQ-9 Reaper drone launched several missiles at Soleimani's convoy as it departed the airport, engulfing the cars in flames and killing 10 people.
The targeted killing of Soleimani caused alarm around the world, with fears of Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region escalating into a larger conflict. The day after the strike, the US announced the deployment of 3,500 members of the 82nd Airborne Division to the region.
