Thousands chant 'Death to America!' at funeral of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani – Daily Mail, Dailymail.co.uk

The white flag of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Force surrounds the truck carrying the coffin of the Iranian commander on the streets of Baghdad on Saturday

Mourners waving the flag of Kataeb Hezbollah surround the coffins of the slain commanders on Saturday in Baghdad

Mourners surround the truck bearing the coffin of Iranian commander Soleimani in the Iraqi capital on Saturday

Mourners gather for a funeral procession for Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad Saturday, Jan. 4, (************************************************************. The head of Iran’s elite Quds force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, was killed in an airstrike early Friday near the Iraqi capital’s international airport that has caused regional tensions to soar.

Thousands of Iraqis surround the coffins of Soleimani and Muhandis in Baghdad on Saturday, the pair were slain in a US airstrike on Friday morning

They chanted ‘Death to America’ and ‘America is the Great Satan’ as they walked beside the coffins of the revered Iranian general and his Iraqi ally

A man holds a poster of the slain Kataeb Hezbollah commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in front of one of the funeral trucks in the Iraqi capital on Saturday

A coffin is seen inside a car during the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, top commander of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on Satur day

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines reinforce the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad on Friday. The embassy is bracing for further potential violence during funeral marches for Soleimani on Saturday

A U.S. Marine at the embassy looks through the scope of a M 110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) on Friday

Men wearing the yellow and green of Kataeb Hezbollah hold banners of Soleimani and Muhandis together during funeral processions in Baghdad on Saturday

Mourners attend the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, top commander of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al- Muhandis. In the background is the Imam Kadhim shrine, one of the most revered in Shia Islam

Mourners surround a car carrying the coffin of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani who was riding in the same car as the Iraqi Shia militia commander Muhandis when they were killed by missiles from a US MQ-9 Reaper Drone

Militants of Muhandis’ Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah (Brigades of the Party of God) group join the funeral procession in Baghdad on Saturday

UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi, who represents Iran’s only diplomatic mission within the US, said in an interview with CNN that the airstrike ‘is tantamount to opening a war against Iran’

Mohammed al-Tabatabai (center), deputy Secretary General of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction, attending the funeral in Baghdad – the Asaib Ahl al-Haq faction fought against US coalition forces during the Iraq War and are today part of the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) (***F) )

Militants mourners parade through the streets of Baghdad on Saturday during funerals held for Soleimani and Muhandis

People attend the funeral ceremony of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Forces, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, vice president of the Popular Mobilzation Forces (PMF ), killed by US strike near Baghdad International Airport yesterday

Pakistani Shiite Muslims burn US and Israeli flags to condemn the death of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in an airstrike near Baghdad, during a protest in Lahore, Pakistan on Friday

Militia and demonstrators wearing the yellow and green of the Kataeb Hezbollah Iraqi militia gather on Saturday ahead of the funeral of the their commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport alongside Soleimani

A billboard bearing a portrait of slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani hangs on a main road in the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday after three days of national mourning were declared in Iran

Female protesters outside the United Nations building in Tehran on Saturday protesting the missile strike in Baghdad in the early hours of yesterday

A billboard in memory of Qassem Soleimani is seen in Tehran on Friday a fter the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that killed him

Iranian demonstrators chant slogans during a protest against the killing of the Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani , head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in front of the United Nations offices in Tehran on Saturday

President Trump said Qassem Soleimani (above) was plotting attacks on Americans, caught in the act and terminated

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him embracing the son of killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him visiting the family of Soleimani

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with family members of the killed general

President Trump Statement on the death of Qassem Soleimani

Thank you very much and good afternoon. As president my highest and most solemn duty is the defense of our nation and its citizens. Last night, at my direction, the United States military successfully executed a flawless precision strike that killed the number one terrorist anywhere in the world, Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him.

Under my leadership America’s policy is unambiguous to terrorists who harm or intend to harm any American. We will find you. We will eliminate you. We will always protect our diplomats, service members, all Americans and our allies. For years the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds Force under Soleimani’s leadership has targeted, injured and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen.

The recent attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq, including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly, as well as a violent assault on our embassy in Baghdad, were carried out at the direction of Soleimani. Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion, contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London. Today we remember and honor the victims of Soleimani’s many atrocities and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over. Soleimani has been perpetrating acts of terror to destabilize the Middle East for the last 30 years. What the United States did yesterday should have been done long ago. A lot of lives would have been saved. Just recently Soleimani led the brutal repression of protesters in Iran, where more than 1, innocent civilians were Tortured and killed by their own government.

We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war. I have deep respect for the Iranian people. They are a remarkable people with an incredible heritage and unlimited potential. We do not seek regime change. However, the Iranian regime’s aggression in the region, including the use of proxy fighters to destabilize its neighbors, must end and it must end now. The future belongs to the people of Iran, those who seek peaceful co-existence and cooperation, not the terrorist warlords who plunder their nation to finance bloodshed abroad.

The United States has the best military by far anywhere in the world. We have the best intelligence in the world. If Americans anywhere are threatened, we have all of those targets already fully identified, and I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary. And that in particular refers to Iran. Under my leadership we have destroyed the ISIS territorial caliphate, and recently American special operations forces killed the terrorist leader known as al-Baghdadi. The world is a safer place without these monsters.

America will always pursue the interests of good people, great people, great souls, while seeking peace, harmony and friendship with all of the nations of the world . Thank you, God bless you. God bless our great military, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. Thank you.

And he vowed to take whatever action necessary to combat terrorism.

‘The United States has the best military by far anywhere in the world. We have the best intelligence in the world. If Americans anywhere are threatened, we have all of those targets already fully identified and I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary. And that in particular refers to Iran, ‘he said.

‘Under my leadership we have destroyed theISISterritorial caliphate, and recently American special operations forces killed the terrorist leader known as al-Baghdadi. The world is a safer place without these monsters, ‘Trump added.

Later in a rally-like speech at a Miami mega-church he added: ‘Qassem Soleimani has been killed and his bloody rampage is now, forever gone. He was plotting attacks against Americans but now we’ve insured his atrocities have been stopped for good. ‘

The president applauded Thursday’s ‘flawless strike’ at the Baghdad airport – that has thrown the Middle East into turmoil – while reminding the crowd he had killedISISleader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi three months before.

At the same time as Trump spoke to evangelical supporters, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien told reporters that Soleimani was planning future action in the Middle East – but declined to say what it was.

‘He had just come from Damascus where he was planning attacks on American soldiers, airmen, Marines, sailors and against our diplomats. This strike was aimed at disrupting ongoing attacks that were being planned by Soleimani and deterring future Iranian attacks, ‘he said in a phone briefing.

He declined to offer details of what kind of attack was planned, calling the information ‘extraordinarily sensitive.’ He later said that ‘at some point there may be something we can discuss.’

He also said Iranian leadership knew what Soleimani was planning.

‘** They know what they were up to. We have the right to self-defense, they understand that, ‘he said.

‘ This was designed to prevent further blood shed. This was a defensive action, ‘O’Brien said of the strike on Soleimani.

He urged Iran to sit down with the United States, to give up its nuclear program, stop its’ escapades’ in Middle East, stop taking hostages and to ‘behave like a normal nation.’

His lack of definitive information about an imminent threat is likely to be seized on by Democrats already furious that Congress was told nothing about the attack beforehand and has still to be briefed the day after.

And in the wake of Soleimani’s death, the United States is sending nearly 3, More Army troops to the Mideast even as officials said there is no indication of an imminent attack in the region. In January, Pompeo said that there were 5, (US forces stationed in Iraq.)

The troops are from the 82 nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and will join about (soldiers from the) nd Airborne who were deployed to Kuwait earlier this week after thousands of people stormed the US Embassy compound in Baghdad.

Trump has talked tough since Soleimani’s death was announced by the Pentagon late Thursday night, boasting that the Iranian generalshould have been taken taken many years ago. ‘ The president accused him of killing thousands of Americans and claimed the people of Iraq don’t want to be ‘dominated and controlled’ by Iran.

But the fallout from Soleimani’s death was swift.

Tehran vowed ‘harsh retaliation’ for the killing of its most senior military leader and the State Department warned Americans to leaveIraq‘immediately’ amid fears of conflict in the region. Major U.S. cities went on heightened alert for possible retaliatory action.

The Department of Homeland Security put out a statement on Friday to say there were ‘no specific, credible threats’ against the U.S. but added it is monitoring the situation.

‘While there are currently no specific, credible threats against our homeland, DHS continues to monitor the situation and work with our Federal, State and local partners to ensure the safety of every American, ‘Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement.

Additionally, US stocks fell about 1 per cent at the market’s opening in the wake of the news while oil prices surged. The price of gold, which investors buy in times of uncertainty, was up 1.6 per cent at $ 1, 700 ******************************************************************************************************** per ounce.

In his justification for the U.S. action, Trump cited Soleimani’s ties to American deaths in the region, his crack down on protestors in Iran, and Iranian threats to its neighbor Iraq.

‘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, ‘the president tweeted Friday morning.

‘ 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 !, ‘he added.

President Trump also referenced Iranian interference in Iraq in his explanation for Soleimani’s death. Tehran has sent billions of dollars and many military advisers to Iraq to keep its Shia-led government in power.

The president portrayed himself as a liberator in the region, claiming the people of Iraq did want to ‘dominated and controlled’ by Iranian forces.

‘The United States has paid Iraq Billions of Dollars a year, for many years. That is on top of all else we have done for them. The people of Iraq don’t want to be dominated & controlled by Iran, but ultimately, that is their choice. Over the last years, Iran has gained more and more control over Iraq, and the people of Iraq are not happy with that. It will never end well !, ‘he tweeted.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touted the administration’s freedom argument when he went on the morning shows to talk about the airstrike.

‘We have every expectation that people not only in Iraq but in Iran will view the American action last night as giving them freedom,’ Pompeo told CNN Friday morning. ‘Freedom to have the opportunity for success and prosperity for their nations and while the political leadership may not want that, the people in these nations will demand it.’

The death of Soleimani, who led the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, was a blow for Iran and an escalation on Trump’s part of relations with Tehran, which have been strained since the death of an American contractor in Iraq in late December.

Major American cities, includingNew Yorkand Los Angeles, have stepped up security in the aftermath of the airstrikes to prevent any revenge attacks.

New York’s Police Department is deploying heavily armed officers in key public spaces and the Los Angeles Police Department said – that while there was currently no credible threat to the city – officials were communicating with other security agencies regarding Any intelligence that may develop.

The president is in Mar-a-Lago for the holiday season and did not go to his golf course on Friday, which is where he has spent the majority of his days while in Florida.

Earlier, the presidenttaunted Iran in the wake of Soleimani’s death, saying the country ‘never won a war.’

‘Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation !,’ the president tweeted on Friday morning in his first response to Soleimani’s death.

It’s unclear what the president meant in his twe et.

He was critical of President Barack Obama’s policy in the region. The Obama administration pushed the (agreement that froze Iranian nuclear program in return for sanctions relief as a way to avoid escalating tensions in the region.

President Trump withdrew from the deal in (************************************************************, claiming Obama’s agreement had emboldened Iran to invest in a campaign of violence in the region.

He began a series of punishing new economic sanctions that accumulated into Friday’s military action.

Or his tweet could be seen as an offer to open negotiations with Tehran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proclaimed his country would avenge the bitter loss of his highest ranking general, while Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah said it would ramp up its terror ‘with the blessing of his pure blood.’

The Pentagon said Trump had ordered the ‘decisive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Soleimani ‘who was’ actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.’

Marine One, carrying President Trump to a speech he’s giving in Miami, departs Mar-a-Lago as protesters watch

President Trump boarding Marine One to head to Miami for a speech to evangelicals

Four precision missiles fired from a US drone struck the two cars carrying Soleimani and his entourage, according to U.S. officials. The cars were struck on an access road near the Baghdad airport in the early hours of Friday. Soleimani had reportedly just arrived to Baghdad on a flight from Syria. Airport logs show a Cham Wings flight arriving from Damascus at (************************************************************************************************************************. ************************************************************************************************ am Friday Baghdad time, but it’s unclear whether Soleimani was on that commercial flight or a private charter.

An American airstrike on Baghdad airport has killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s powerful Quds force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy-leader of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (pictured, the burning remains of a car that was among a convoy the men had been traveling in )

An image which circulated on Iranian media in the aftermath purporting to show Quds commander Qassem Soleimani’s hand after the strike in the early hours of Friday. Two officials from the Iran-backed People’s Mobilzation Forces (PMF) said Soleimani’s body was torn to pieces in the attack and a senior politician said his body could only be identified by the ring he wore on his left hand. The ring bears strong similarities to the ruby ​​ring worn on Soleimani’s left hand in other photos, however it is not a precise match and fellow victim Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis wore similar jewellery.

House Minority leader Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy shared this image last night at the table with President Donald Trump (right), saying: ‘A memorable and historic evening at The Winter White House. Proud of our President! ‘ Dan Scavino, the White House Director of Social Media and Assistant to the President sits opposite McCarthy (back to camera) while White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley stands at the table

Protesters in Tehran demonstrate over the US airstrike in Iraq that killed Soleimani

Iraqis perform a mourning prayer for slain Iranian Revolutionary Guards Major General Qasem Soleimani at the Great Mosque of Kufa

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNN there was a threat of an ‘imminent’ attack in the region but declined to elaborate on details

A massive funeral with thousands all dressed in black lined the streets of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman in Iran today. The commander killed Friday in a US strike, was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies

Putin Reaction to Soleimani’s killing

Soleimani’s charisma propelled him to the senior officer ranks. In 2003, he was named commander of the Quds Force.

His profile rose suddenly when he was pushed forward as the public face of Iranian intervention in the Syrian conflict from 2016, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries – and even being featured in a music video and animated film .

Western leaders saw him as central to Iran’s ties with militia groups including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas.

But Senator Lindsey Graham, theRepublicanchairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he was briefed on the forth coming attack when he was in Florida in late December.

He is not a member of the ‘Gang of Eight’ but is a close ally of the president’s on Capitol Hill.

‘I was briefed about the potential operation when I was down in Florida,’ he told ‘Fox & Friends’ on Friday morning.

Graham played golf with the president at his Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach on December (*************************************************************************************************************.

He said it was a pre-emptive move on the part of the United States.

‘The intelligence was very strong that Soleimani was orchestrating chaos in Iraq at our expense and throughout the region. The president was informed of these potential attacks and he acted. This was a defensive strike to neutralize future attacks that were being planned and executed by Soleimani, ‘Graham said.

Thousands of Iranian mourners dressed in black flooded the streets of Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman, a revered commander, he was responsible for shaping Iranian foreign policy throughout the Middle East.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tehran to protest against the U.S. ‘crimes’ chanting ‘Death to America’, torching the Stars and Stripes and holding up posters of the slain commander.

Khamenei proclaimed: ‘All friends – & enemies – know that Jihad of Resistance will continue with more motivation & definite victory awaits the fighters on this blessed path. The loss of our dear General is bitter. The continuing fight & ultimate victory will be more bitter for the murderers & criminals. ‘

It comes as Iraqi Shia militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr ordered the reformation of the Mahdi Army which fought against US troops during the invasion in 2006. Sadr had disbanded the group in 2011.

The leader of Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah group Hassan Nasrallah announced: ‘We will carry a flag on all battlefields and all fronts and we will step up the victories of the axis of resistance with the blessing of his pure blood. ‘

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami also paid tribute to Soleimani, vowing: ‘A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimani’s unjust assassination.’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for the strike, saying: ‘Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people. He was planning more such attacks. ‘

Announcing his death during a live Iranian-state TV broadcast, a news presenter embraced army spokesman Ramezan Sharif and the pair wept together as they informed the Islamic Republic of Soleimani’s death.

The U.S. embassy in Baghdad said in a statement: ‘Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, the US Embassy urges American citizens to heed the January (Travel Advisory and depart Iraq immediately.)

‘US Citizens should depart via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land. ‘

The State Department added:’ Due to Iranian-backed militia attacks at the US Embassy compound, all consular operations are suspended. US citizens should not approach the Embassy. ‘

The attack unfolded in a precision strike on two cars that were carrying Soleimani and Iraq-based PMF militiamen who were picking him up from the airport.

(Soleimani had arrived at the airport on a plane from either Syria or Lebanon around (*************************************************************************************************************************. am when he was met on the tarmac by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq.

Muhandis pulled up to the aircraft steps in two cars before Soleimani and Mohammed Ridha Jabri, public relations chief for the PMF who had been traveling with him, climbed inside and were driven away.

Moments later, as the cars passed through a cargo area headed for an access road leading out of the airport, the convoy was struck by three missiles fired by a n MQ-9 Reaper drone.

Both vehicles were instantly reduce d to smoldering wrecks – killing Soleimani, Muhandis, Jabri and two others who have yet to be identified.

Two officials from the PMF said Soleimani’s body was torn to pieces in the attack, while they did not find the body of al-Muhandis.

A senior politician said Soleimani’s body was identified by the ring he wore. Photos from the scene show a hand with large ring that looks identical to one Soleimani is seen wearing in old photos.

Local militia commander Abu Muntathar al-Hussaini told Reuters: ‘Haj Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al -Muhandis were riding in one vehicle when it was struck by two successive guided missiles launched from an American helicopter while they were on their way from the arrivals hall on the road that leads out of Baghdad Airport. ‘

He said the second vehicle was carrying bodyguards from the PMF and was hit by one rocket.

While American forces did not make it clear how they had tracked Soleimani’s location, he is thought to be kept under near-constant surveillance by US, Saudi and Israeli security forces.

The New York Timesreported that Friday’s attack drew upon a combination of highly classified information from informants, electronic intercepts, reconnaissance aircraft and other surveillance techniques.

The Defense Department said that the airstrike was justified to protect American lives.

‘General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,’ the Pentagon statement said.

The statement added that Soleimani ‘orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months’ including the embassy assault.

This afternoon, following Friday prayers thousands took to the streets of Tehran, with hundreds marching towards Khamenei’s compound in central Tehran to convey their condolences.

‘I am not a pro-regime person but I liked Soleimani. He was brave and he loved Iran, I am very sorry for our loss, ‘said housewife Mina Khosrozadeh in Tehran.

In Soleimani’s hometown, Kerman, people wearing black gathered in front of his father’s house, crying as they listened to a recitation of verses from the Koran.

‘Heroes never die. It cannot be true. Qassem Soleimani will always be alive, ‘said Mohammad Reza Seraj, a high school teacher.

Iran condemns strike and vows’ vigorous revenge ‘

Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, responded in a statement calling the US strike an act of terrorism.

‘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, ‘Zarif said.

‘ The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism, ‘he continued.

An advisor to Iran´s President Hassan Rouhani quickly warned of retaliation imminent from Tehran.

‘Trump through his gamble has dragged the US into the most dangerous situation in the region, ‘advisor Hessameddin Ashena wrote on the social media app Telegram. ‘Whoever put his foot beyond the red line should be ready to face its consequences.’

A former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaei, on Friday vowed ‘vigorous revenge against America’ for the airstrike .

‘Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Suleimani joined his martyred brothers, but we will take vigorous revenge on America,’ Rezaei, who is now the secretary of a powerful state body, said in a post on Twitter .

ISIS and Al Qaeda are Sunni factions that are bitterly opposed to Shiite Iran, which sponsors anti-Sunni militant groups throughout the region.

Democrats chastise Trump for killing Soleimani without permission from Congress

Top Democrats, while condemning Soleimani, warned that that the airstrike had the potential to set off a war, and chastised Trump for not seeking congressional approval.

‘Tonight’s action represents a massive escalation in our conflict with Iran with unpredictable consequence, ‘said House Foreign Committee Chair Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat, in a statement.

‘ To push ahead with an action of this gravity without involving Congress raises Serious legal problems and is an affront to Congress’s powers as a coequal branch of government, ‘Engel said.

‘ Soleimani was an enemy of the United States. That’s not a question, ‘said Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, in a statement.

‘The question is this – as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?’ Murphy said.

Andrew Yang was the first of the Democratic presidential candidates to react to the strike, tweeting: ‘War with Iran is the last thing we need and is not the will of the American people. We should be acting to deescalate tensions and protect our people in the region. ‘

The State Department said ‘due to Iranian-backed militia attacks at the US Embassy compound, all consular operations are suspended. US citizens should not approach the Embassy ‘(pictured: US Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines reinforcing the Baghdad Embassy Compound in Iraq)

Joe Biden

said in a statement that ‘President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox. ‘

‘ The Administration’s statement says that its goal is to deter future attacks by Iran, but this action almost certainly will have the opposite effect, ‘Biden said.

Senator, War Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, tweeted: ‘Soleimani was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans. But this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict. Our priority must be to avoid another costly war. ‘

Trump’s allies defend airstrike as his ‘greatest foreign policy accomplishment’

Trump’s allies rushed to his defense, however, including Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican .

‘Soleimani was one of the most ruthless and vicious members of the Ayatollah’s regime. He had American blood on his hands, ‘said Graham in a tweet.

‘ If Iranian aggression continues and I worked at an Iranian oil refinery, I would think about a new career, ‘he continued ominously .

Trump ‘campaign press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in an interview with Fox News that the killing of Soleimani is the’ greatest foreign policy accomplishment, I would say, of the decade, if not our lifetime ‘.

Iranian retaliation is inevitable, experts say

Experts say that the killing of Soleimani will be viewed by Iran as a massive military provocation. ‘The pressure to retaliate will be immense,’ tweeted Middle East scholar and John Hopkins professor Vali Nasr.

‘Soleimani had cult hero hero status within IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and among Shia militias in the region, and was personally the most popular regime figure in Iran,’ said Nasr.

A PMF official said the dead also included its airport protocol officer, identifying him as Mohammed Reda (above)

The US missiles landed near the air cargo terminal, burning two vehicles, killing at least seven and injuring several people.

PMF officials said five of their members and two ‘guests’ were killed in the airstrike on their vehicles inside Baghdad International Airport.

The vehicles were reportedly receiving passengers from an airplane that had just landed in Baghdad after a flight fromSyria.

The PMF official said the dead also included its airport protocol officer, identifying him as Mohammed Reda.

A security official confirmed that seven people were killed in the attack on the airport, describing it as an airstrike.

An official with the PMF quickly blamed  the U.S. military for the strike. ‘The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani,’ said Ahmed al-Assadi, a PMF spokesman.

The airport is seen in a file photo. The rocket attack targeted two cars carrying passengers from a plane that had just arrived from Syria

Secretary Pomepeo called al-Muhandis, who was killed in the strike, a terrorist who was responsible for the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad

A security guard’s hut window has been badly damaged by the rioters as smoke spews from fires set around the compound on Tuesday, with protesters waving flags of the militias part of the popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Many are supported by Iran.

US Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines reinforce the Baghdad Embassy Compound in Iraq on Thursday after Violent attacks by pro-Iran forces

THE BRINK OF WAR: HOW US TENSIONS WITH IRAN HAVE ESCALATED

Iran’s most prominent figures and a deadly adversary to America and its allies.

As the head of the Quds – or Jersualem – Force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Soleimani was officially charged with protecting the Islamic Revolution, and in practice was used to enforce the regime’s will across the Middle East.

Commonly known as the second most powerful man in Iran, wielding more influence than the president, he was seen by many as a future leader.

His CV included helping Shia militias to kill hundreds of American troops during the US invasion of Iraq, backing Assad as he slaughtered civilians by the thousands during the Syrian civil war, and most recently overseeing the slaughter of hundreds of anti-Iran protesters in Iraq.

Born into a poor agricultural family in Kerman province, central Iran, in 1979 he worked in construction and then a city water department before the Islamic Revolution began.

As protests against the Shah grew, Soleimani was involved in Organizing demonstrations against the monarch.

After the Shah was deposed, Soleimani joined the Revolutionary Guards at its formation in**********************************************************************, then served as leader of a company that helped repel Saddam Hussein’s invasion in 1999.

He was promoted to commander of a division while not yet 49 and by the mid-eighties were organizing missions inside Iraq to undermine the Hussein regime, often bullying, bribing and otherwise exploiting Iraqi Kurds.

In 2002, during student protests in Iran, he threatened to topple the government in order to crush the demonstrations, and in – just a few months before the US invaded Iraq – he was promoted to head of the Quds Force.

US officials say the Guard under Soleimani taught Iraqi Iraqis how to manufacture and use especially deadly roadside bombs against US troops after the invasion of Iraq, resulting in the deaths of some US troops.

Soleimani himself was popular figure among pro-regime Iranians, who saw him as a selfless hero fighting enemies enemies.

He had been rumored dead several times, including in a 2008 airplane crash that killed other military officials in northwestern Iran and following a bombing in Damascus that killed top aides of Assad.

Rumors circulated in November that Soleimani was killed or seriously wounded leading forces loyal to Assad as they fought around Syria’s Aleppo.

Soleimani has been in and out of Baghdad in recent years.

Last month, he tried to broker agreements as Iraqi parties struggled to form a new government.

Where once he kept to the shadows, Soleimani has in recent years become an unlikely celebrity in Iran – replete with a huge following on Instagram.

His profile rose suddenly when he was pushed forward as the public face of Iranian intervention in the Syrian conflict from (*******************************************************************, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries – and even being featured in a music video and animated film.

In a rare interview aired on Iranian state television in October, he said he was in Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah war to oversee the conflict.

To his fans and enemies alike, Soleimani was the key architect of Iranian regional influence, leading the fight against jihadist forces and extending Iranian diplomatic heft in Iraq, Syria and beyond.

‘To Middle Eastern Shiites, he is (James Bond, Erwin Rommel andLady Gagarolled into one, ‘wrote former CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack in a profile for Time’s most influential people in‘To the West, he is … responsible for exporting Iranian Islamic revolution, supporting terrorists, subverting pro-Western governments and waging Iranian foreign wars,’ Pollack added.

With Iran roiled by protests and economic problems at home, and the US once again mounting pressure from the outside, some Iranians had even called for Soleimani to enter domestic politics.

While he has dismissed rumors he might one day run for president, the general has played a decisive role in the politics of Iran’s neighbor, Iraq.

As well as talks on forming a government, he was pivotal in pressuring Iraqi Kurds to abandon their plans for independence after an ill-judged referendum last September .

His influence has deep roots, since Soleimani was already leading the Quds Force when the US invaded Afghanistanin 2001.

‘My Iranian interlocutors on Afghanistan made clear that while they kept the foreign ministry informed, ultimately it was General Soleimani that would make the decisions,’ former US ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told the BBC in 2013.

Relatively unknown in Iran until the US invasion of Iraq, Soleimani’s popularity and mystique grew out American officials calling for h is killing.

By the time it came a decade and a half later, Soleimani had become Iran’s most recognizable battlefield commander, ignoring calls to enter politics but becoming as powerful, if not more, than its civilian leadership.

‘The warfront is mankind’s lost paradise,’ Soleimani recounted in a 2016 interview.

‘One type of paradise that is portrayed for mankind is streams, beautiful nymphs and greeneries.

‘But there is another kind of paradise. … The warfront was the lost paradise of the human beings, indeed. ‘

His firm but quiet presence play perfectly to the Iranian penchant for dignified humility.

‘He sits over there on the other side of room, by himself, in a very quiet way. Doesn’t speak, doesn’t comment, just sits and listens. And so of course everyone is thinking only about him, ‘a senior Iraqi official told the New Yorker for a long profile of Soleimani.

A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland – one of the few considered reliable by analysts – found Soleimani had a popularity rating of percent, beating President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Western leaders saw him as central to Iranian ties with militia groups including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas.

Soleimani is also thought to have been the point man for Iranian foreign policy in places like Afghanistan and the Caucasus region .

Part of his appeal was the suggestion he might bridge Iran’s bitter social divides on issues such as its strict ‘hijab’ clothing rules.

‘If we constantly use terms such as’ bad hijab ‘and’ good hijab ‘, reformist or conservative … then who is left?’ Soleimani said in a speech to mark World Mosque Day in (************************************************************.

‘They are all people. Are all your children religious? Is everybody the same? No, but the father attracts all of them. ‘

While Soleimani rose in the ranks to be one of the most powerful figures in the Islamic Republic, he was not known to be a religious man.

He never received a religious education. Instead, he rose through the ranks of the military after the Islamic Revolution.

A father of five, the 66 – year-old Soleimani rarely gave media interviews.

But there are a few details about his life that are public knowledge.

Born March (************************************************************************************************************************, , Soleimani was said in his homeland to have grown up near the mountainous and the historic Iranian town of Rabor, famous for its forests, its apricot , walnut and peach harvests and its brave soldiers.

The State Department has said he was born in the Iranian religious capital of Qom.

Little is known about his childhood, though Iranian accounts suggest Soleimani’s father was a peasant who received a piece of land under the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, but later became encumbered by debts.

By the time he was 13, Soleimani began working in construction, later as an employee of the Kerman Water Organization.

Iranian Islamic Revolution swept the shah from power and Soleimani joined the Revolutionary Guard in its wake.

He deployed to Iran’s northwest with forces that put down Kurdish unrest following the revolution.

Soon after, Iraq invaded Iran and began the two countries long, bloody eight- year war.

The fighting killed more than 1 million people and saw Iran send waves of lightly armed forces into minefields and the fire of Iraqi forces, including teenage soldiers.

Solemani’s unit and others came under attack by Iraqi chemical weapons as well.

Amid the carnage, Soleimani became known for his opposition to ‘meaningless deaths’ on the battlefield , while still weeping at times with fervor when exhorting his men into combat, embracing each individually.

It is not known if he participated in the mass demonstrations that eventually led to the ouster of the shah in (********************************************************************************.

After the Islamic Republic came to be, Soleimani joined the Iranian Revolutionary Guards – a military force separate from the army.

Soleimani’s charisma propelled him to the senior officer ranks. In 2003, he was named commander of the Quds Force.

‘Quds’ is the Persian word for Jerusalem, which the Iranians have vowed to liberate.

It was first established during the Iran-Iraq conflict with the goal of helping the Kurds in their struggle against Saddam Hussein.

Another key function of the Quds Force was to spread the Islamic regime’s message to the Iranian military – a necessity at the time given that there were fears the army would turn against the government.

The Quds Force eventually started to train military outfits outside of Iran, like Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In Secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, US officials openly Iraqi efforts to reach out to Soleimani to stop rocket attacks on the highly secured Green Zone in Baghdad in 2011.

Another cable in outlines then-Iraqi President Jalal Talabani offering a US official a message from Soleimani acknowledging having ‘hundreds’ of agents in the country while pledging, ‘I swear on the grave of (the late Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini I haven´t authorized a bullet against the US.’

US Officials at the time dismissed Soleimani’s claim as they saw Iran as both an arsonist and a fireman in Iraq, controlling some Shiite militias while simultaneously stirring dissent and launching attacks.

US forces would blame the Quds Force for an attack in Karbala that killed five American troops, as well as for training and supplying the bomb makers whose improvised explosive devices made IED – improvised explosive device – a dreaded acronym among soldiers.

In a speech, US General David Petreaus recounted a message from Soleimani he said explained the scope of Iranian’s powers.

‘He said,’ General Petreaus, you should know that I, Qassem Soleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect t o Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Afghanistan ‘,’ Petraeus said.

The US and the United Nations put Soleimani on statements lists in 2007, though his travels continued.

In (*******************************************************************, US officials also named him as a defendant in an outlandish Quds Force plot to allegedly hire a purported Mexican drug cartel assassin to kill a Saudi diplomat.

But his greatest notoriety would arise from the Syrian civil war and the rapid expansion of the Islamic State group.

Iran, a major backer of Assad, sent Soleimani into Syria several times to lead attacks against IS and others opposing Assad’s rule.

While a US-led coalition focused on airstrikes, several ground victories for Iraqi forces came with photographs emerging of Soleimani leading, never wearing a flak jacket.

‘Soleimani has taught us that death is the beginning of life, not the end of life, ‘one Iraqi militia commander said.

************************************Qassem Soleimani headed Iran’s external military arm whose reach extended throughout Middle East