Donald Trump Orders Airstrike Killing Qassem Soleimani the Head of Iran's Elite Military Force

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images; IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER’S OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Donald Trumpordered an airstrike in Iraq Thursday, killing Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, a specialized unit in the Revolutionary Guards.

“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” the statement continued, adding that Soleimani and “his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.”

Soleimani “had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months — including the attack on December 27th — culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel,” the DOD’s statement Thursday said, referencing thekilling of a U.S. civilian contract workerin a rocket attack last Friday that also injured several service workers.

“General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week,” the DOD’s statement said, referring to the two days of protests outside of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, that had American diplomats trapped inside overnight, according to aWednesday reportfromThe New York Times.

Tensions are high in the Middle East following a U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani (pictured above).IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER’S OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The outlet reported that the protesters, who entered the Embassy compound and set fire to some of the buildings, eventually dispersed on Wednesday “after leaders of the Iranian-backed militias who had organized the demonstration called on the crowd to leave.”

“The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world,” the statement concluded.

source: people.com