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Iran vows revenge after U.S. drone strike kills elite force commander Iran vows revenge after U.S. drone strike kills elite force commander
(about 2 hours later)
BEIRUT — Iran on Friday vowed "severe revenge" in response to the U.S. airstrike which killed Tehran's most powerful military commander, Qasem Soleimani, and dramatically sharpened tensions across the Middle East.BEIRUT — Iran on Friday vowed "severe revenge" in response to the U.S. airstrike which killed Tehran's most powerful military commander, Qasem Soleimani, and dramatically sharpened tensions across the Middle East.
Soleimani was a towering figure in Iran's power projection across the region, with close links to a network of paramilitary groups that stretches from Syria to Yemen. His death in the smoldering wreckage of a two-car convoy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, left U.S. outposts and personnel bracing for retaliatory attacks. Soleimani was a towering figure in Iran's power projection across the region, with close links to a network of paramilitary groups that stretches from Syria to Yemen. His death in the smoldering wreckage of a two-car convoy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, left U.S. outposts and personnel bracing for retaliatory attacks and oil prices shooting upwards. The U.S. Embassy in Iraq warned its citizens to leave "immediately."
"With his departure and with God's power, his work and path will not cease and severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his blood and the blood of the other martyrs of last night's incident," Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement."With his departure and with God's power, his work and path will not cease and severe revenge awaits those criminals who have tainted their filthy hands with his blood and the blood of the other martyrs of last night's incident," Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement.
The country's defense minister, Amir Hatami, said that the night time strike by the "arrogant U.S." would be met with a "crushing" response.The country's defense minister, Amir Hatami, said that the night time strike by the "arrogant U.S." would be met with a "crushing" response.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Friday urged American citizens to leave Iraq immediately, citing heightened tensions, and said in a statement that it was suspending public consular activities.
U.S. airstrike kills Iranian commander Qasem SoleimaniU.S. airstrike kills Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani
The U.S. attack appeared intended to cripple a force that has been the vanguard of Iran's decades-long effort to shape the region in its favor. Soleimani joined Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a young man, and took control of the Quds Force, its external wing, in the late 1990s. After a week in which frictions between the two countries had sparked a siege of Baghdad's U.S. Embassy by Iran-backed paramilitaries, Thursday's airstrike appeared to be aimed at crippling a force that has been the vanguard of Tehran's decades-long effort to shape the region in its favor.
Soleimani joined Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a young man, and took control of the Quds Force, its external wing, in the late 1990s.
Under his command, the force expanded its support for armed groups across the region, including in Iraq, where U.S. officials blamed Iran-backed militias for killing at least 600 American troops following the 2003 U.S. invasion.Under his command, the force expanded its support for armed groups across the region, including in Iraq, where U.S. officials blamed Iran-backed militias for killing at least 600 American troops following the 2003 U.S. invasion.
In recent years Soleimani was regularly seen making visits to affiliated militias in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, demonstrating not just his military influence but significant diplomatic clout. Also killed in the attack was Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, one of Iraq's most influential militia commanders who is better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. In recent years Soleimani was regularly seen making visits to affiliated militias in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, demonstrating not just his military influence but significant diplomatic clout.
The U.S. strike appeared to have killed some of the network's most important operatives. Among those who died in the convoy were Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, a powerful Iraqi militia leader better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, as well as Soleimani's son-in-law, according to a militia official in Iraq.
Qasem Soleimani: Who was Iran’s powerful military leader?Qasem Soleimani: Who was Iran’s powerful military leader?
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said the Pentagon had taken "decisive defensive action" against Soleimani.Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said the Pentagon had taken "decisive defensive action" against Soleimani.
“Gen. Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” Esper said in a statement. “This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.”“Gen. Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” Esper said in a statement. “This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.”
The basis for that statement remained unclear, although it followed comments by the defense secretary earlier in the day suggesting that Iran and its proxies may be preparing renewed strikes on U.S. personnel in Iraq.The basis for that statement remained unclear, although it followed comments by the defense secretary earlier in the day suggesting that Iran and its proxies may be preparing renewed strikes on U.S. personnel in Iraq.
A video circulated by Shiite militia groups showed, accompanied by the sound of wailing, the crumpled wreckage of the vehicle in which Soleimani purportedly was traveling. A photograph claimed to show his bloodied, ash-covered hand wearing the same blood-red ring seen in earlier photos of him alive. Experts warned Friday that the strike could serve as a catalyst for greater violence. “The Pentagon said it was carried out with the goal of deterring further Iranian attacks — but in the short term, there is a very real possibility of retaliatory action by Iran that could reverberate across the region,” said Naysan Rafati, a senior Iran Analyst with the International Crisis Group.
A U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the record, said the attack was conducted by a U.S. drone and struck a two-car convoy carrying Soleimani and others on an access road near Baghdad International Airport. At least half a dozen people were believed to have been killed. As Friday morning wore on, the responses from Iran’s paramilitary allies rolled in. In Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah issued condolences for Soleimani’s “martyrdom” and urged Shiite militia factions in Iraq not to let his death “go to waste.”
Iraq’s infamous militia leader Moqtada Sadr used his Twitter account to order fighters from his Mahdi Army “to be ready.” Formed in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the group gained notoriety for its attacks on U.S. soldiers before it was officially disbanded in 2008.
A video circulated by Shiite militia groups showed the crumpled wreckage of the vehicle in which Soleimani purportedly was traveling. A photograph claimed to show his bloodied, ash-covered hand wearing the same blood-red ring seen in earlier photos of him alive.
According to a U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the record, the attack was conducted by a U.S. drone and struck a two-car convoy on an access road near Baghdad International Airport. At least half a dozen people were believed to have been killed.
In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the U.S. “assassination,” adding that the killing of the Iraqi militia leader was an act of aggression against Iraq and a breach of the conditions under which American forces operate in the country.In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the U.S. “assassination,” adding that the killing of the Iraqi militia leader was an act of aggression against Iraq and a breach of the conditions under which American forces operate in the country.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the killing was reckless and would fuel tension in the region and offered condolences to its ally, Iran. “Soleimani loyally served the cause of defending the national interests of Iran. We offer our sincere condolences to the Iranian people,” the ministry said. There are few countries where the power struggle between Washington and Tehran has had such an impact, and Abdul Mahdi’s government has fought to prevent Iraq from becoming an arena for a shadow war between the two. Intensified regional violence would likely begin there, said Henry Rome, an analyst with the Eurasia Group. “Iranian-backed militias will attack U.S. bases and some U.S. soldiers will be killed; the U.S. will retaliate with strikes inside of Iraq,” he wrote in an analysis.
But he also suggested that the cycle might ultimately be contained. “Why would the Soleimani assassination not immediately trigger a limited or even major conflict? The structural factors are powerful,” he said, suggesting that leaders in Tehran might still be leery of any conflict which further damages an economy already crippled by U.S. sanctions, and that President Trump was unlikely to want to embark upon a new war with a reelection campaign looming.
Iraq’s leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned the U.S. airstrike on Friday, and called on all parties to practice restraint. “The vicious attack on Baghdad International Airport last night is an insolent breach of Iraqi sovereignty and international agreements. It led to the killing of several commanders who defeated Islamic State terrorists,” Sistani’s office said in a statement.
“These events and more indicate the country is heading toward very difficult times. We call on all concerned parties to behave with self restraints and act wisely,” he said.
For its part, Russia said the killing was reckless and would fuel tension in the region and offered condolences to its ally, Iran. “Soleimani loyally served the cause of defending the national interests of Iran. We offer our sincere condolences to the Iranian people,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of Russia’s parliament, told the state-run RIA Novosti News Agency that Soleimani’s targeting is “the worst-case scenario” and predicted that Iranian retribution “will not take long.”Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of Russia’s parliament, told the state-run RIA Novosti News Agency that Soleimani’s targeting is “the worst-case scenario” and predicted that Iranian retribution “will not take long.”
“I’ll be happy to be wrong because wars are easy to start, but very hard to end,” Kosachev said.“I’ll be happy to be wrong because wars are easy to start, but very hard to end,” Kosachev said.
Senior officials with the Popular Mobilization Forces, as the Iraqi militia groups are known, lamented the deaths in messages circulating on WhatsApp. “May God reward you for the loss of the brave leaders, Hajj Soleimani and Hajj Muhandis. May God accept them as martyrs in his vast mercy,” wrote Ahmed al-Assadi, the chief spokesman of the Popular Mobilization Forces, many of which are seen as being funded and directed by Iran.
Despite a long period of increasing tension between Iran and the Trump administration, which has vowed a tougher stance on Tehran’s support for proxy groups, the attack against an incomparable figure in Iran’s security establishment came as a surprise to many analysts, in part because it was seen as likely to ignite a significant Iranian response.Despite a long period of increasing tension between Iran and the Trump administration, which has vowed a tougher stance on Tehran’s support for proxy groups, the attack against an incomparable figure in Iran’s security establishment came as a surprise to many analysts, in part because it was seen as likely to ignite a significant Iranian response.
The attack, which Esper said was authorized by President Trump, raises fresh questions about the president’s approach to the Middle East. While Trump has employed bellicose rhetoric and authorized several strikes against the Syrian government, an ally of Tehran, he has repeatedly voiced his desire to get the United States out of costly wars in the Middle East. The attack, which Esper said was authorized by Trump, raises fresh questions about the president’s approach to the Middle East. While Trump has employed bellicose rhetoric and authorized several strikes against the Syrian government, an ally of Tehran, he has repeatedly voiced his desire to get the United States out of costly wars in the Middle East.
Robyn Dixon and Isabelle Khurshudyan in Moscow contributed to this report. Asia markets were down following the strike and Brent crude oil futures jumped nearly $3 to $69 a barrel, their highest since September.
Liz Sly and Sarah Dadouch in Beirut, Erin Cunningham in Istanbul and Robyn Dixon and Isabelle Khurshudyan in Moscow contributed to this report.
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