Gen. Qassem Suleimani, a senior Iranian commander and one of the most powerful figures in the Middle East, was killed in an airstrike on the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq at the direction of President Donald Trump, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday. It’s likely to seriously affect the U.S. position there ― with Tehran’s allies already blaming Washington for the death, a greater escalation between U.S. and Iranian forces and their partners appears inevitable. Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office via ASSOCIATED PRESS A vehicle burns at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in early Friday. The Pentagon said Thursday that the U.S. military has killed Gen. Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. STR/AFP via Getty Images Gen. Qassem Suleimani attends celebrations marking the 37th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in 2016 in Tehran.

Source: Huffington Post January 03, 2020 01:37 UTC