Assassination of Qasem Soleimani

2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike
Part of the Persian Gulf crisis
File:2020 Baghdad Airport airstrike aftermath.jpg Wreckage from the U.S. strike near Baghdad International Airport, 3 January 2020
Type	Drone strike
Location	near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq 33°15′29″N 44°15′22″E
Target	Qasem Soleimani
Date	3 January 2020 (2020-01-03) about 1 a.m. (local time, UTC+3)
Executed by	United States
Outcome	See Aftermath
Casualties	10 killed
Location in Iraq

On 3 January 2020, amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, the U.S. launched a drone strike on a convoy traveling near Baghdad International Airport, killing Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), commander of the Quds Force. Nine other passengers, including the deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were also killed.

The strike occurred during the 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis, which began after the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, reimposed sanctions, and accused Iranian elements of fomenting a campaign to harass U.S. forces in the region. On 27 December 2019, the K-1 Air Base in Iraq, which hosts Iraqi and U.S. personnel, was attacked, killing an American contractor. The U.S. responded by launching airstrikes across Iraq and Syria, killing 25 Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militiamen. Days later, Shia militiamen and their supporters retaliated by attacking the U.S. embassy in the Green Zone.

The United States asserted that the strike was approved by U.S. President Trump to disrupt an "imminent attack" and The United States Department of Defense issued a statement that it was decisive "defensive action" for prevention of further attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, while Iran maintains that it was an act of "state terrorism" and Iraq considered the attack as undermining its national sovereignty, breach of its agreement with the U.S. and an aggression against its officials.

There are some controversial questions about the legality death of the Iranian military leader both international law and domestic laws.

Soleimani's killing sharply escalated tensions between the U.S. and Iran and stoked fears of a military conflict. Iranian leaders vowed revenge, while U.S. officials said that they would preemptively attack any Iran-backed paramilitary groups in Iraq that they perceived as a threat. Many in the international community reacted with concern and issued statements or declarations urging restraint and diplomacy.

Background

Further information: 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis and Iran–United States relations

The United States intervened in Iraq in 2014 as a part of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the United States–led mission to degrade and combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terror organization, and have been training and operating alongside Iraqi forces as a part of the anti-ISIL coalition. ISIL was largely beaten back from Iraq in 2017 during the Iraqi Civil War, with the help of primarily Iran-backed Shia militias—Popular Mobilization Forces, reporting to the Iraqi prime minister since 2016—and the United States–backed Iraqi Armed Forces.

Concerning the provisional nuclear deal with Iran, some critics of the treaty condemned that Iran could make a Nuclear bomb after expiry of the limited-term nuclear deal. U.S. President Trump also criticized the 15 year term temporary nuclear deal with Iran by the previous U.S. administration's paying $1.7 billion cash to Tehran. Tensions rose between Iran and the United States in 2018 after United States President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions against Iran, which severely affected Iran's economy, as a part of the U.S. administration's strategy of applying "maximum pressure" against Iran for the purpose of establishment of the new Iran-US nuclear deal.

Evaluation of the Pentagon

The Pentagon evaluated Soleimani was the leader of Tehran's attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, including the 2019 K-1 Air Base attack and Killing of US civilian, shooting down of US aerial vehicle. Regarding the decision to kill Soleimani, the U. S. focused on both his past actions and a deterrent to his future action as the Pentagon announced that "he was actively developing plans to attack US diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region".

Prior threats against Qasem Soleimani

Former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both considered and rejected the targeting of Qasem Soleimani, fearing that it would escalate to a full-scale war. Retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos told The New York Times that Soleimani, unlike other adversaries killed by the United States, felt comfortable operating in the open and was not hard to find. He often took photographs of himself and openly taunted U.S. forces.

In September 2015, radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Donald Trump about Soleimani. After initially confusing him with a Kurdish leader, Trump argued that leaders like Soleimani would be dead under his administration.

It was reported in 2015 that Israel was "on the verge" of assassinating Soleimani on Syrian soil, however the United States, during the Obama administration's negotiations for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, thwarted the operation by revealing it to the Iranian officials.

On 25 August 2019, Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz stated that "Israel is acting to strike the head of the Iranian snake and uproot its teeth ... Iran is the head of the snake and Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, is the snake's teeth." In October 2019, Hossein Taeb, chief of the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told press that his agency had arrested an unspecified number of people, allegedly foiling a plot by Israeli and Arab agencies to assassinate Soleimani. He said they had planned to "buy a property adjacent to the grave of Soleimani’s father and rig it with explosives to kill the commander." He added the way of the assassination would have appeared as part of an internal Iranian power struggle to "trigger a religious war inside Iran." In response, Yossi Cohen, chief of Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad, said in October 2019 that "Soleimani knows that his assassination is not impossible."

Prelude

See also: 2019 K-1 Air Base attack, December 2019 United States airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, 2019 Iraqi protests, and 2019–20 attack on the United States embassy in Baghdad

In October 2019, Major General Qasem Soleimani met with members of the Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq to discuss plans for future attacks against American targets, senior members of the militia group told Reuters. Such attacks would occur in the backdrop of protests in Iraq against growing Iranian influence in that country that Soleimani and his allies hoped would trigger U.S. retaliatory actions that would redirect public anger at the United States. He picked the Kataib Hezbollah because he believed the Americans would have difficulty detecting this group, which possessed drones capable of spotting targets for rocket launchers. Militia commanders told Reuters Soleimani ordered the delivery of this aircraft to his allies in the fall of 2019.

On 27 December 2019, the K-1 Air Base in Kirkuk province, Iraq—one of many Iraqi military bases that host Operation Inherent Resolve coalition personnel—was attacked by more than 30 rockets, killing a United States civilian contractor and injuring four United States service members and two Iraqi security forces personnel. The United States blamed the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia for the attack. Furthermore, a senior United States official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said there had been a campaign of 11 attacks on Iraqi bases hosting OIR personnel in the two months before the 27 December incident, many of which the United States also attributed to Kata'ib Hezbollah. On 29 December 2019, retaliatory U.S. airstrikes on Kata'ib Hezbollah's headquarters killed 25 militia members, and wounded 55.

On 31 December 2019, after a funeral was held for the Kata'ib Hezbollah militiamen, dozens of Iraqi Shia militiamen and their supporters marched into the Green Zone and surrounded the United States embassy compound.Dozens of the demonstrators then smashed through a main door of the checkpoint, set fire to the reception area, raised Popular Mobilization Units militia flags, left anti-American posters, and sprayed anti-American graffiti. U.S. president Donald Trump accused Iran of orchestrating the attack on the embassy and added that they would be held "fully responsible". Iran's foreign ministry denied they were behind the protests.

Trump briefing

According to an unnamed senior U.S. official, after the bombing of Kata'ib Hezbollah in late December 2019, a security briefing was convened at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate where Trump and his advisors, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Mark Milley discussed how to respond to Iran's alleged role in sponsoring anti-U.S. attacks in Iraq. Reportedly, the targeted killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, whom U.S. officials regarded as a facilitator of attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq, was listed as one of many options on a briefing slide for Trump to respond with. Trump chose the option to target Soleimani. The president's order prompted the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies that have tracked Soleimani's whereabouts for years to locate him on a flight from Damascus to Baghdad, reportedly to hold meetings with Iraqi militiamen. The air strike would have been called off if Soleimani had been on his way to meet with Iraqi government officials aligned with the U.S.

According to the Washington Post, Trump was likely motivated in choosing to kill Soleimani by a desire to appear decisive amid the ongoing Persian Gulf crisis, since his decision to call off an airstrike against Iran in summer 2019 after the downing of a U.S. drone had led to what he perceived as negative media coverage. Lawmakers and aides who had spoken to him told the Post that the president also had the 2012 Benghazi attack in Libya on his mind. Pompeo had discussed killing Soleimani with Trump months before the strike, but did not garner support from the president or the defense team then in place.

According to The New York Times, Trump initially rejected the option to target Soleimani on 28 December 2019, but made the decision after being angered by television news reports of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad under attack by Iranian-backed protesters, which occurred on 31 December. By late 2 January 2020, Trump had finalized his decision, selecting the most extreme option his advisors had provided him. Top Pentagon officials were reportedly "stunned" by his decision. The Times report cited unnamed U.S. officials as claiming that the intelligence regarding Soleimani's alleged plot against the U.S. was "thin" and that the Ayatollah had not approved any operation for Soleimani to carry out. However, General Milley said the intelligence was "clear and unambiguous" with a time frame of "days, weeks". Vice President Pence wrote that Soleimani was plotting "imminent" attacks on U.S. persons. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence were reportedly the most hawkish voices arguing to retaliate against Iran.

Trump did not advise the top congressional leaders of the Gang of Eight in advance of the strike. Senator Lindsey Graham indicated Trump had discussed the matter with him in advance of the strike, as he was visiting the president at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Soleimani's trip to Iraq

Abdul-Mahdi, Prime Minister of Iraq said that he was scheduled to meet Soleimani on the day the attack happened, and Soleimani planned to "deliver me Iran's response to a previous message sent from Saudi Arabia to Tehran through us".

Attack

An MQ-9 Reaper drone

In the early morning hours of 3 January 2020, Soleimani's plane arrived at Baghdad International Airport as an MQ-9 Reaper drone of the U.S. Air Force and other military aircraft loitered in the area. Soleimani and other pro-Iranian paramilitary figures, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, entered two vehicles and departed the airport towards downtown Baghdad. At around 1 am local time, the MQ-9 Reaper drone launched several missiles, striking the convoy on an airport access road, engulfing the two cars in flames and killing 10 people.

As news of the event broke, the United States Department of Defense issued a statement which said that the strike was carried out "at the direction of the president" and was meant to deter future attacks. Trump asserted that Soleimani had been planning further attacks on American diplomats and military personnel and had approved the attack on the American embassy in Baghdad.

Casualties

General Qasem Soleimani (left) and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (right) were among those killed.

Soleimani's body was identified using a ring that he wore. As DNA results were still pending regarding the identification of those killed, a senior Pentagon official stated that there was "high probability" that Soleimani would be identified. Ahmed Al Asadi, a spokesman for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), confirmed the deaths of Soleimani and Muhandis. Ayatollah Ali Sistani's office claimed that among the casualties were several commanders who defeated Islamic State terrorists.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that a total of ten people were killed. Along with Soleimani, four other IRGC officers were also killed: Brigadier General Hossein Pourjafari, Colonel Shahroud Mozafarinia, Major Hadi Taremi and Captain Vahid Zamanian. The remaining five casualties were Iraqi members of the PMF: deputy leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, chief of protocol and public relations Muhammed Reza al-Jaberi, Mohammad al-Shibani, Hassan Abdul Hadi and Heydar Ali.

The New York Times compared the attack to Operation Vengeance in World War II, when American pilots shot down the plane carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, which the paper said was "the last time the United States killed a major military leader in a foreign country".

Aftermath

Demonstrations in Iran over the death of Soleimani

U.S. paratroopers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division deploy to the Middle East following the Baghdad airstrike, 4 January 2020

Soleimani and al-Muhandis' deaths raised tensions between the United States and Iran. A spokesman for the Iranian government said the country's top security body would hold an extraordinary meeting shortly to discuss the "criminal act of attack".

Shortly after the attack, several planes with U.S. service members took off from bases in the eastern United States. The following day, the United States Department of Defense announced the deployment of 3,500 members of the 82nd Airborne Division to the region, one of the largest rapid deployments in decades. Defense officials stated that the deployment was not directly related to the airstrike which killed Soleimani, but was instead a "precautionary action in response to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities". On 4 January, the United States Department of Homeland Security said there was 'no specific, credible' threat to the U.S. mainland but warned about Iranian capabilities.

The U.S. embassy in Baghdad urged Americans to leave Iraq immediately "via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land." The next day, Britain warned its nationals to avoid all travel to Iraq outside the Kurdistan region, and to avoid all but essential travel to Iran. Australia issued a similar warning advising its nationals to "leave Iraq as soon as possible." On 5 January, Britain announced that its navy will accompany UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The economic impact was considerable, as global oil prices rose to highs not seen for three months, increasing the share price (of BP and Royal Dutch Shell) on the London Stock Exchange. Arms company stocks (of Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon) also rose in the wake of the event. U.S. equity futures and Asian stocks reversed their gains for the day and investors moved towards "safe haven" assets such as gold, treasury bonds, and the Japanese Yen. According to France 24, the targeted killing of Qasem Soleimani "has caused alarm around the world, amid fears that Iranian retaliation against American interests in the region could spiral into a far larger conflict." Reuters reported that some Iranians including Soleimani supporters fear that a war could break out at a time of economic hardship and widespread corruption. Some older Iranians recalled memories of the Iran–Iraq War.

Further tensions

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that "retaliation is waiting". Reportedly, in the wake of the strike, U.S. spy agencies detected that Iran's ballistic missile regiments were at a heightened readiness but it was unclear if they were defensive, cautionary measures or an indication of a future attack on U.S. forces. U.S. President Trump warned Tehran that any retaliation would see the U.S. target 52 Iranian significant sites including cultural sites. The 52 sites were reported to represent the 52 American hostages held during the Iran hostage crisis. The main military adviser of Iran Hossein Dehghan and Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif asserted that attack on an Iranian cultural site would be behavior of grave breaches of international law. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mentioned that Washington is going to do the things that are right and the things that are consistent with U.S. law regarding targeting Iranian cultural sites if necessary.

On 5 January 2020, Iran announced that it would suspend all its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal except that it would continue to cooperate with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The statement added, "If the sanctions are lifted... the Islamic Republic is ready to return to its obligations."

Alleged Taji road airstrike

The day after the Baghdad airport attack, Iraqi state news reported that there had been another airstrike against a convoy of medical units of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces near Camp Taji in Taji, Iraq, north of Baghdad. An Iraqi Army source told Reuters that the attack killed six people and critically wounded three. The PMF later said there was no senior commander in the convoy, and the Imam Ali Brigades denied reports of the death of its leader. The PMF also denied that any medical convoy was targeted at Taji. There was no information about who conducted the attack. Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve Colonel Myles B. Caggins III said the coalition did not do it, while Iraq's Joint Operations Command denied reports of any such attack occurring, and that it was simply a false rumor that spread quickly due to the prior airport strike.

Funerals

'Aerial Footage of Funeral Procession for General Soleiman in Tehran' video from FARS News Agency

On 4 January, the funeral procession for Soleimani, al-Muhandis, and the Iraqi and Iranian militants was held in Baghdad and attended by thousands of mourners, including Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who chanted "death to America, death to Israel" along with others in the crowd. The cortege began around Al-Kadhimiya Mosque, a Shiite holy site in Baghdad, before heading to the Green Zone government and diplomatic compound where a state funeral was held. From Baghdad, the procession moved to the Shia holy city of Karbala and on to Najaf, where al-Muhandis and the other Iraqis were buried, while the coffins of Soleimani and the Iranian nationals were sent to Iran. Following the mourning procession in Baghdad, unknown persons fired short-range rockets towards the U.S. embassy and at the U.S. Balad Air Base . The U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, said no Americans were harmed due to the sporadic rocket attacks on 4 January.

The remains of Soleimani and the Iranian figures killed in the strike arrived in Iran on 5 January, where they became part of mourning processions in several cities, first in Ahvaz and second in Mashhad where one million people attended the mourning. It was initially reported that Iran canceled the mourning procession planned in Tehran because the city would not be able to handle the number of attendees expected after the turnout in Mashhad, however the Tehran service was held, where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly wept while leading prayers for the funeral. Iranian state media said the crowd of mourners numbered in the "millions", reportedly the biggest since the 1989 funeral of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Iranian authorities plan to take Soleimani's body to Qom on 6 January for public mourning processions, then onto his hometown of Kerman for final burial on 7 January. Before the national procession was completed, multiple infrastructural works, such as the international airport at Ahvaz and an expressway in Tehran had already been renamed after him.

Legality

Having been described as an act of war by journalists Robin Wright and Fred Kaplan, legal justification of the airstrike became a subject of debate.

An alleged violation of International law

The charter of the United Nations generally prohibits the use of force against other states, if a country does not consent to it on its territory. The Government of Iraq did not grant a permission to the United States to target a military commander from another country—Soleimani—on its soil. Some legal experts believe that a lack of consent from Iraq makes it difficult for the United States to justify the attack.

Mary Ellen O'Connell argues that "premeditated killing" of Soleimani was against the Hague (1907) and Geneva (1949) conventions; thus unlawful. Robert M. Chesney maintains that the attack could be justifiable in case it is "self-defense", while Oona A. Hathaway states that the available facts do not support that it was so.

Agnès Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, maintains that the airstrike "most likely violate international law incl[uding] human rights law", adding that killing of other individuals alongside Soleimani was "absolutely unlawful".

Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia stated that the American action "grossly violates international law and should be condemned" adding that they should "stop using unlawful methods of force". Wang Yi, foreign minister of China also took a similar position. A spokesman for Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said "States have a right to take action such as this in self-defence."

In terms of agreement with Iraq

See also: U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement

Under Iraqi law, killing of al-Muhandis and other PMF members by the United States is a deliberate attack on military personnel and officials of Iraq, since PMF is legally incorporated into the Iraqi security forces by a series of laws and Prime Ministerial orders.

A mutual agreement signed in 2008, prohibits the United States from launching attacks on other countries from Iraqi territory.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, stated that the attack was a "breach of the conditions for the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq". He also said "The assassination of an Iraqi military commander who holds an official position is considered aggression on Iraq... and the liquidation of leading Iraqi figures or those from a brotherly country on Iraqi soil is a massive breach of sovereignty". He and parliamentary speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi released separate written statements, both terming the attack as a breach of Iraq's sovereignty.

Domestic laws of the United States

The fact that the airstrike was orchestrated without a permission from Congress, raised a number of legal questions. The case was compared by AP reporter John Daniszewski to the drone killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki during the Obama administration. Some analysts maintain that Trump had the authority to order the strike under Article Two of the United States Constitution, while the ambiguity of the law Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF) may help Trump justify it.

Executive Order 11905, signed in 1976 to prevent assassination attempts on Fidel Castro, states that "no person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination". The definition of assassination under the law, or whether it could be applied to this case is not clear.

Reactions

Iran

File:Iran's supreme leader comforts Qasem Soleimani's relative.jpg

Ali Khamenei consoles a son of Soleimani

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared three days of mourning, and vowed to take "harsh revenge" against the U.S.

President Hassan Rouhani also said that Iran "will take revenge."

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif posted on Twitter that the attack was "an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation" and released a statement saying that "the brutality and stupidity of American terrorist forces in assassinating Commander Soleimani... will undoubtedly make the tree of resistance in the region and the world more prosperous."

Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations wrote in an official letter to the United Nations Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: "by any measure, is an obvious example of State terrorism and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including, in particular, those stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations".

Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi compared Trump to ISIL, Hitler, and Genghis Khan, also calling him a "terrorist in a suit".

Former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee posted that "[Soleimani] joined his martyred brothers, but we will take vigorous revenge on America." Soleimani's daughter Zeinab Soleimani said during her father's funeral that "the families of the American soldiers in western Asia will spend their days waiting for the death of their children".

'Red Flag of "Revenge" for Soleimani Hoisted on Jamkaran Mosque' - video from FARS News Agency.

On 4 January 2020, a red flag unfurled above the dome of Jamkaran Mosque in response to the airstrike, that according to Washington Examiner, symbolizes vengeance. While being broadcasted on Iran's Channel One, the eulogist at Soleimani's funeral procession addressed a crowd during processions at Mashhad and called for a bounty of US$ 80 million (roughly US$ 1 for every Iranian citizen) to be placed on Donald Trump.

Iraq

Outgoing Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the attack, calling it an assassination and stating that the strike was an act of aggression and a breach of Iraqi sovereignty which would lead to war in Iraq. He said the strike violated the agreement on the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq and that safeguards for Iraq's security and sovereignty should be met with legislation. The media office of the Iraqi military's joint operations forces posted a photo of a destroyed vehicle on fire after the attack. The speaker of Iraq's parliament Mohammed al Halbousi vowed to "put an end to U.S. presence" in Iraq.

Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist Movement and the Saraya al-Salam militia, ordered his followers to "prepare to defend Iraq".

Al-Manar reported that "in an extraordinary session on Sunday, 170 Iraqi lawmakers signed a draft law requiring the government to request the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Only 150 votes are needed that the draft resolution be approved". There are 329 lawmakers in total. Rudaw Media Network (Kurdish) described the 170 Iraqi lawmakers that signed the law as Shiite and that "Iraqi parliament’s resolution to expel foreign troops has no legal consequences." Al Jazeera reported the resolution read "The government commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting Islamic State due to the end of military operations in Iraq and the achievement of victory" and "The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason." The resolution was approved in the Iraqi parliament. In response to the vote, Trump threatened Iraq with sanctions that would "make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame" and demanded reimbursement for American investments on military facilities in Iraq.

United States

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers prepared remarks on the airstrikes, Mar-a-Lago, 3 January 2020.

President Trump tweeted pictures of the American flag shortly before the United States confirmed its responsibility for the attacks, at 3:00 am GMT on 3 January 2020 (6:00 am in Baghdad). In a subsequent public statement he said he had authorized the strike because Soleimani was plotting "imminent and sinister attacks" on Americans. He added, "We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war." He also said that he did not seek a regime change in Iran. On 4 January, Trump tweeted that 52 Iranian targets (representing the 52 American hostages in the 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis) had been selected if Iran "strikes any Americans, or American assets". In the same tweet, Trump also mentioned targeting Iranian "cultural sites", an act that would constitute a violation of international law under the Hague Convention. Trump insisted he would not hesitate to destroy such targets even after being informed it would be considered a war crime.

On the day of the strike, U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo asserted the attack was ordered by Trump to disrupt an "imminent attack" by Soleimani operatives, although subsequent reports on that rationale were mixed. After the strike, Pompeo tweeted a video he said showed Iraqis celebrating Soleimani's death on the streets of Baghdad, although the video showed no more than 40 individuals among a crowd of thousands and the minor demonstration ended within two minutes. In a tweet, former National Security Advisor John Bolton called the airstrike "a long in the making, decisive blow against Iran's malign Quds Force activities worldwide...Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran." Vice President Mike Pence claimed without evidence that Soleimani was involved in the 9/11 attacks.

When asked about the possible responses that Iran could take to this action, former Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael Mulroy said that the IRGC Quds Force has a worldwide reach and that targets would include American civilians, and that Iraq might decide to expel U.S. forces in their country. Former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta warned that the U.S. is closer to war with Iran than at any time in the last 40 years.

The question of characterizing the attack as "murder", "assassination", "act of war", or something else is controversial. It was described as a wag the dog incident, parallel to the bombing of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan by president Bill Clinton during his own impeachment process, which had itself been seen as reminiscent of the contemporaneous film Wag the Dog.

Domestic U.S. political reactions

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell addresses the U.S. Senate, 3 January 2020

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer addresses the U.S. Senate, 3 January 2020

American politicians reacted along party lines. Republicans generally supported the mission, while Democrats blamed Soleimani "for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen during the Iraq war" but questioned the wisdom and timing of the attack.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrated the attack, referring to Soleimani as "Iran's master terrorist". House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to the attacks as "provocative and disproportionate", and tabled a "war powers resolution" requiring Trump's administration to end hostilities with Iran not approved by Congress within 30 days.

All of the Democratic candidates for the 2020 U.S. presidential election, political challengers to Trump, largely condemned the airstrike. Former Vice President Joe Biden warned of further escalation and said that Trump "just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox." Senator Bernie Sanders said that "Trump's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars." Senator Elizabeth Warren described the attack as wag the dog, an attempt by Trump to distract from the impeachment process through an act of war. South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg said the Trump administration must plan for possible consequences before taking action, must ensure its action is supported by its allies, and must take only actions that will benefit U.S. national interests and stability in the region. Representative Tulsi Gabbard called the airstrike an act of war by President Trump and a violation of the U.S. Constitution because the president does not have Congressional authorization for this act.

Sanders, along with Representative Ro Khanna, announced that they would be introducing legislation to prevent the use of Pentagon funding for military action in Iran without Congressional approval. Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, said, "Congress must act to stop President Trump from entangling America in yet another unnecessary war in the Middle East." In June 2019, Kaine had introduced a resolution to require Congressional authorization before going to war with Iran, and on 3 January 2020 he introduced a similar resolution. Kaine's counterpart, Mark Warner (D-VA) said it is not clear that the Trump administration has a clear plan to prevent another endless war in the Middle East.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized the airstrikes, saying that it will increase tensions between the two countries. Fox News's Tucker Carlson criticized the killing and "chest-beaters" who promote foreign interventions, particularly Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE). He asked, "By the way, if we're still in Afghanistan, 19 years, sad years, later, what makes us think there's a quick way out of Iran?"

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed strong concerns about potential retaliatory strikes, putting the police department on high alert, including the potential of bag checks at subway stations and vehicle checks at tunnels and bridges. Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. said she did not see any immediate threats, but she reminded citizens to report any suspicious activities.

President of the Council on Foreign Relations, Richard Haass, called the airstrike potentially "the most significant development" in the region since the Iraq War, and called for the U.S. to prepare for an Iranian retaliation. Oona A. Hathaway, professor of international law at Yale Law School evaluated the various legal justifications the Trump Administration gave for the airstrike, compared the attack with similar events of the past and concluded that, "the Soleimani strike defied the U.S. Constitution. If Congress fails to respond effectively, the constitutional order will be broken beyond repair, and the president will be left with the unmitigated power to take the country to war on his own—anywhere, anytime, for any reason."

U.S. general public

An anti-war protest in Washington, D.C., 4 January 2020

Anti-war rallies in more than 30 U.S. cities were set by Code Pink and the ANSWER Coalition for Saturday night, 4 January, asking the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Thousands marched in 70 cities across the country.

The U.S. Selective Service System website crashed with many looking for information on draft requirements and exemptions. The agency attributed the crash to "the spread of misinformation." The hashtags #WorldWarIII and #WWIII had been trending on social media, along with concerns that the military draft might be reinstated. Many Internet memes on the topic became popular on sites such as Twitter and TikTok.

Global reactions

Supranational

• NATO temporarily suspended its training mission in Iraq on 4 January. A spokesperson said in an emailed statement, "The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount. We continue to take all precautions necessary."

• United Nations Secretary General António Guterres expressed concern over the escalation and called for leaders to "exercise maximum restraint". Agnès Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur on extra-judicial executions stated that the killing likely violated international human rights laws. Also, Callamard described the U.S. statement as failing to mention the others who were killed alongside Soleimani. "Collateral? Probably. Unlawful? Absolutely," Callamard added.

National

• Afghanistan's government released a statement calling for both parties to prevent further escalations and resolve the crisis through negotiations, and noted that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had requested to Pompeo that US bases in Afghanistan not be used against other countries, in accordance to the bilateral security agreement between the two countries.

• Argentina - On 4 January 2020, Argentine President Alberto Fernández ordered the armed forces to secure the borders and reinforced security at the main airports, the American airliners and the U.S. embassy in response to the operation. In a official statement later that day, the Foreign Ministry said they "were worried about the escalating situation in the Middle East". It also said the Argentine people acknowledges terrorism ever since suffering two terrorist attacks in the past (the Israeli embassy attack and AMIA bombing), and urged all parties to diplomacy and restraint.

• Bahrain called for de-escalation.

• Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro said he supports any "initiative against terrorism", also reaffirmed his support for U.S. President Donald Trump in the action. Subsequently the Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a communiqué, assumed his "support for the fight against the scourge of terrorism..."

• Canada urged restraint and de-escalation of the tensions, but it also said it has long been concerned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, led by Soleimani, whose "aggressive actions have had a destabilizing effect in the region and beyond."

• China appealed for restraint from all sides, “especially the United States,” stating that China has always opposed the use of force in international relations.

• Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen called it "a really serious situation". She avoided question on whether the killing was right, instead called for de-escalation. Denmark is a part of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, and following the Iraqi parliament's vote to ask them to leave, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod said: "We are in Iraq to fight ISIL. And that task is not done."

• Egypt's Foreign Ministry has appealed both Iran and the U.S. to avoid any further escalation and was following developments in Iraq with great concern.

• France deputy minister for foreign affairs, Amelie de Montchalin, told RTL radio, "We are waking up in a more dangerous world. Military escalation is always dangerous."

• Germany advised that the Middle East has reached "a dangerous escalation point" and the conflict can only be resolved diplomatically. German foreign minister Heiko Maas said that the airstrikes had not "made it easier to reduce tensions," but noted they "followed a series of dangerous Iranian provocations."

• India's minister of External affairs & Foreign affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had expressed serious concerns over ongoing tensions in Iran. He said, "India remains deeply concerned, and will stay in touch." He also had telephonic conversation with both countries' foreign ministers, Mohammad Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary Mike Pompeo, on the present situation in Middle East, and highlighted India's stakes and concerns. India further urged, both countries to be restraint and maintain peace.

• Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement requesting parties to refrain from further violent actions, and called on Indonesian citizens in Iraq to "remain vigilant".

• Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the air strike, saying that Trump had acted "swiftly, forcefully and decisively." He affirmed Israel's alliance with the U.S., saying "Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense." Israel will convene its security cabinet on 5 January to discuss increased threats due to the killings. They have warned Hamas and other groups in Gaza Strip against responding. Hamas had earlier expressed "sincere condolences" to Iran’s leadership and praised Soleimini's support for the Palestinian struggle.

• Italy cautioned that the rising tension could fuel further "terrorism and violent extremism." However, opposition leader Matteo Salvini applauded the killing of Soleimani, whom he called, "one of the most dangerous and pitiless men in the world, an Islamic terrorist, an enemy of the West, of Israel, of rights and of freedoms."

• Lebanon condemned the attack as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and an escalation against Iran, while calling for Lebanon and its vicinity to be spared from the repercussions of the incident.

• Malaysia is deeply concerned over the situation following the airstrikes and calls on all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and de-escalate tensions.

• Pakistan urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, engage constructively to de-escalate the situation, and resolve issues through diplomatic means, in accordance with UN Charter and international law.

• Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the country's military to prepare to evacuate Filipino citizens from Iraq and Iran "at any moment's notice".

• Qatar's foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on a two-day visit to Tehran (3–4 January), said the situation is 'delicate and worrying' and called for easing tensions and calm.

• Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that, "U.S. had embarked illegal power move" and condemned the air strike saying that it believed the incident will raise Middle East tensions. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that, "Washington was looking to remake the Middle East, a call Moscow would have made in the heady days of the regime change wars that first started in Iraq in 2003 under George W. Bush’s 'pre-emptive strike' policy."

• Saudi Arabia called for restraint and said the events in Iraq were the result of previous "terrorist acts". During a press conference on 6 January, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that Saudi Arabia was "very keen that the situation in the region doesn’t escalate any further".

• Syria's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the “treacherous, criminal American aggression” that led to the killing of Soleimani, according to a statement released by news agency SANA.

• Turkey believes that the air strike increases insecurity and instability in the region and is deeply concerned by the rising tensions between the United States and Iran. Turkish President Erdogan expressed his distaste for external interference, which he said destabilizes the region.

• Venezuela condemned the air strike saying that it believed the incident will raise Middle East tensions. Venezuelan National Assembly and disputed interim president Juan Guaidó said that Soleimani "led a criminal and terrorist structure in Iran that for years caused pain to his people and destabilized the Middle East, just as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis did with Hezbollah." Guaidó also accused Nicolás Maduro of allowing him and his Quds Forces to incorporate their sanctioned banks and companies in Venezuela.

• United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash called for wisdom and political solutions over confrontation and escalation.

• United Kingdom encouraged all involved parties to react with caution, saying "further conflict is in none of our interests." However, British foreign minister Dominic Raab noted that his government had "always recognized the aggressive threat posed by the Iranian Quds force."

• Yemen's Government praised the killing as an "important step to end conflict in the region", while the Iran-backed Houthis condemned the attacks and called for "swift reprisals".

Others

• Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve issued a press release suggesting military activities beyond protecting their own personnel would be paused. "We are now fully committed to protecting the Iraqi bases that host Coalition troops.  This has limited our capacity to conduct training with partners and to support their operations against Daesh and we have therefore paused these activities, subject to continuous review. "

• Hamas, the de facto government of the Gaza Strip, sent condolences upon Soleimani's death and condemned the airstrikes. On 4 January, hundreds in Gaza Strip, joined by leaders of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad faction, mourned Soleimini's death. Israeli and American flags were placed on the ground for people to step on, and then the flags were burned.

• Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said that "the shoe of Qassem Soleimani is worth the head of Trump and all American leaders", adding that the response must be the expulsion of U.S. forces from the region.

• Taliban in Afghanistan condemned the killing of Soleimani, describing it as "American adventurism".

• People's Mojahedin of Iran, an exiled Iranian militant group, the welcomed the killing of Soleimani. Its leader Maryam Rajavi stated that the killing is an "irreparable blow for the regime of the mullahs" while she accused Soleimani of being "one of the biggest criminals in Iran's history" and "personally implicated in the massacre of thousands of people in the region."

• National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces welcomed Soleimani’s death, a man they blame for thousands of deaths in the nearly nine-year-old civil war.

See also

• 2020 in Iraq
• 2020 in politics and government
• Barisha raid
• Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
• Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act
• Disposition Matrix
• Targeted killing
• Timeline of United States military operations