General Qassim Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force and among the country’s most powerful figures, was reportedly killed in an American airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, early Friday morning. “At the direction of the president, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qassim Soleimani,” the Pentagon said, accusing him of “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” The assassination of Soleimani comes after Iran-backed Iraqi militias attacked the American embassy in Baghdad earlier this week to avenge the deaths of several militia members killed in another U.S. airstike. “[B]e prepared for all sorts of Iranian retaliation against U.S. diplomatic and military personnel,” Council of Foreign Relations President Richard Haass warned on Twitter shortly after reports of the general’s death first emerged.More stories from theweek.com 5 ways Iran might retaliate for America’s airstrike The booming stock market shows America is diseased Fox News segment on Soleimani strike descends into chaos as Geraldo Rivera and Brian Kilmeade clash
