But the shootdown of the Ukrainian plane on the night of the Soleimani strike, killing all 176 people aboard, opened a new avenue of pressure for the Trump administration. The ballistic missile attack, which caused no casualties, was a response to the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general, in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. Esper said he shared the belief that Soleimani was planning attacks on multiple U.S. facilities, but Esper did not say these included four embassies. “I didn’t see one with regard to four embassies,” Esper said. The embassies are the most prominent display of American presence in a country.”O’Brien seemed to agree with Trump on that point.

Source: thestar January 12, 2020 14:13 UTC