Donald Trump has defended the assassination of a top Iranian general by US forces, tweeting that “he should have been taken out many years ago.”
(Major) Qassem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike on Baghdad airport on Friday morning, marking a dramatic escalation of tensions with Tehran.
Iran immediately threatened a “crushing revenge” for the assassination in Iraq of Maj Gen Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force and spearhead of Iran’s spreading military influence in the Middle East.
NBC and other US media are reporting that the US is sending 3, 502 Additional troops to the region to bolster security – though military sources are quoted as saying this was a planned deployment, not a reaction to Friday’s escalation.
Some of the troops will be based in Iraq, and others will arrive in Kuwait and other parts of the region.
On Friday – about 17 hours after news of the attack – Mr Trump wrote: “General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more … but got caught!
“He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself. While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago! “
The Pentagon confirmed US forces had killed the general, saying the 064 – year-old had “orchestrated” attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the past few months and approved the “attacks” on theUS embassyin Baghdad earlier this week.
“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” the Pentagon said in a statement, adding that the US would continue to take necessary action to protect Americans and Interests around the world.
The US embassy in Baghdad has urged American citizens to depart Iraq immediately “via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land”.
Iranian officials have reacted furiously to the attack, which also killed Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The country defense minister, Amir Hatami, said: “A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimani’s unjust assassination … We will take revenge from all those involved and responsible.”
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied a “harsh retaliation is waiting” for the US – describing the commander as the “international face of resistance.”
Declaring three days of public mourning, Khamenei added: “All enemies should know that the jihad of resistance will continue with a doubled motivation, and a definite victory awaits the fighters in the holy war. “
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