A top Iranian military commander is dead after a predawn U.S. airstrike in Iraq this morning– and apparently, it was no accident. Qasem Soleimani was among several killed in the strike near Baghdad International Airport.
Who’s that? Soleimani was the head of Iran's elite special operations unit of the Revolutionary Guard. President Trump directed the strike that reportedly killed leaders of Iran-backed militia groups.
The Pentagon says Soleimani was behind a recent mob attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and claims he was planning more attacks on U.S. bases and service members. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the incident an “assassination,” and says the U.S. will bear responsibility for "all consequences" of the attack.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has also spoken out. Tweeting just after 3am ET, Rouhani writes, "the fight against terrorism and extremism in the region will be raised, and the path of resistance to US excesses will continue. The great nation of Iran will take revenge for this heinous crime."
Source: NBC News