Iran Vows 'Crushing Revenge' For General Qassem Soleimani's Assassination

The United States killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani , head of the elite Quds Force and architect of Iran’s spreading military influence in the Middle East, in an airstrike on Friday at Baghdad airport, the Pentagon and Iran said.

Top Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an adviser to Soleimani, was also killed in the attack, a militia spokesman said.

Soleimani’s killing marks a dramatic escalation in the regional “shadow war” between Iran and the United States and its allies, principally Israel and Saudi Arabia, which could quickly ratchet up tit-for-tat attacks.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed harsh revenge.

Read: Trump Responds To Assassination Of Top Iran General By Tweeting Picture Of U.S. Flag

Iran has been locked in a long conflict with the United States that escalated sharply last week with an attack on the U.S. embassy in Iraq by pro-Iranian militiamen following a U.S. air raid on the Kataib Hezbollah militia, founded by Muhandis.

“At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” it added.

U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Soleimani had been killed in a drone strike. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said he was killed in an attack by American helicopters.

Pictures showed burning debris on a road near the airport.

Khamenei said harsh revenge awaited the “criminals” who killed Soleimani and his death, though bitter, would double the motivation of the resistance against the United States and Israel.

“All enemies should know that the jihad of resistance will continue with a doubled motivation, and a definite victory awaits the fighters in the holy war,” Khamenei said in a statement carried by state television, in which he called for three days of national mourning.

“A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimani’s unjust assassination ... We will take revenge from all those involved and responsible for his assassination,” Iran’s Defence Minister Amir Hatami said.

In a statement, the country’s foreign minister Javad Zarif said, “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.”

On Twitter, he said the assassination of Soleimani was “an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation.”

“The U.S. bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism,” he said in the post.

State television presenters wore black and broadcast footage of Soleimani peering through binoculars across a desert and greeting a soldier, and of Muhandis speaking to followers.

Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesman for Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), the umbrella grouping of Iran-backed militias, blamed the United States and Israel for the killing of Soleimani and Muhandis.

Iraqi paramilitary groups said three rockets hit Baghdad International Airport, killing five members of Iraqi paramilitary groups and two “guests.”

The rockets landed near the air cargo terminal, burning two vehicles, killing and injuring several people.

Local militia commander Abu Muntathar al-Hussaini told Reuters:

“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.

“The American criminals had detailed information on the convoy’s movements,” Hussaini said.

Oil prices were up $3 on the news.

In the US, top Democrats slammed the move as a dangerous escalation. 

 Senator Elizabeth Warren , a US Democratic presidential contender, said: “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.”

Former US Vice President Joe Biden , another presidential candidate, said, “This is a hugely escalatory move in an already dangerous region... President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond.”

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, said while Soleimani was “an enemy of the United States,” the killing could put more Americans at risk.

“One reason we don’t generally (assassinate) foreign political officials is the belief that such action will get more, not less, Americans killed,” Murphy said on Twitter. “That should be our real, pressing and grave worry tonight.”

(Inputs from Reuters)