Iranian officials have warned of a “vigorous vengeance” after General Qassem Soleimani, head of Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in a U.S. strike at Baghdad’s International Airport on Friday, and have swiftly moved to appoint a replacement.
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani, the previous deputy commander of Quds force, as Soleimani’s replacement.
Trump authorized the attacks and didn’t even inform Congress about them:
“At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” a White House statement said.
“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” it added.
Los Angeles Times:
Secretary of State and Trump toadie Mike Pompeo went on CNN’s New Day to justify the assassination of two Iranian leaders.
No threats to US Homeland.
Democratic leaders Congress criticized Trump’s decision. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said late Thursday night that the bombing was carried out without “authorization for use of military force” or consultation with Congress and called on the administration to immediately brief lawmakers on the next steps under consideration.
Republicans praised the president’s action. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement late Thursday that Soleimani “had American blood on his hands” and welcomed what he called Trump’s “bold action against Iranian aggression.”
The United States urged its U.S. citizens to leave Iraq “immediately.” The State Department said the embassy in Baghdad, which was attacked by Iran-backed militiamen and other protesters earlier this week, is closed and all consular services have been suspended.
Global powers warned Friday that the world became a more dangerous place after the U.S. assassinated Iran’s top general, urging restraint on all sides. Britain and Germany also suggested that Iran shared some blame for provoking the targeted killing that dramatically ratcheted up tensions in the Mideast.
China, Russia and France, all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, took a dim view of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport early Friday that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani and several of his associates. The 62-year-old ledIran’s elite Quds Force, responsible for the country’s foreign campaigns.
Stock futures dropped and oil prices surged early Friday after a U.S. airstrike killed a top Iranian general, reigniting geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Dow futures dropped nearly 300 points and Standard & Poor’s 500 futures slid 1.1%. Stocks had closed at records Thursday following a stellar 2019 performance, which saw them notch their best year since 2013.
