Trump ordered killing of Soleimani to protect US personnel abroad: Pentagon

January 03, 2020 10:52

President Donald Trump ordered for the US airstrike in Iraq that killed General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards, in a "decisive defensive action" to protect US personnel abroad and deter future attacks being planned by Iran, the Pentagon said Friday.

General Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite al-Quds force and architect of its regional security apparatus, was killed following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport on Friday.

The strike also killed the deputy chief of Iraq's powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force.

The Pentagon confirmed the death of Soleimani in Iraq, saying the strike was carried out at the direction of Trump. "At the direction of the president, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation,' the Pentagon said.

Following Soleimani's death, Trump did not say anything immediately, except for tweeting an image of the US flag.

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