Iran threatened to hit back hard on Friday after an American air strike in Baghdad put an end to the lives of Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s second most powerful man and the architect of the growing influence of that country in the Middle East. Grootayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed Soleimani’s vice commander as successor.
In brief
- US kills Iranian general in air raid in Baghdad
- General Qassem Soleimani was considered the second most powerful man in Iran
- Iran threatens retaliation
- Tensions between the US and Iran have been rising for some time
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The American attack marks a dramatic escalation of the “cold war” between Iran, the United States and American allies in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Soleimani was extremely popular in both his own country and Iraq, where he helped restore order after the advance of the Islamic State forced the Iraqi army to make a wild retreat. He was the head of the Quds brigade, a special unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
“All enemies must know that the jihad of resistance will continue with a doubled motivation and that the warriors in the holy war will await the final victory,” Khamenei said in a statement. In Iran, the countries and organizations in the region that are hostile to the US and Israel are often referred to as a “front of resistance.”
Khamenei appointed the acting commander of the Quds brigade, General Esmail Ghaani, to succeed Soleimani.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attack “legal” and stated that the risks would have been enormous if the US had not taken action against Iran. “We are not looking for war with Iran, but we will not stand by the sidelines if American lives are threatened,” he said.
Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq may take revenge
“The martyrdom of Soleimani will make Iran more resolute to resist American expansionism and defend our Islamic values,” Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on Friday. “Iran and other countries in the region striving for freedom will no doubt take revenge.”
The Prime Minister of Iraq, Adel Abdul Mahdi, said in response to the attack that the US has violated Iraqi sovereignty and international agreements. He called on all parties involved to be reluctant.
Also the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, condemned the attack on the airport as an “impudent violation of Iraqi sovereignty.” He called on all parties to “act with restraint and act wisely”.
American allies wary after attack
Israel, the other great enemy of Iran and the most important ally of the US, has brought its armed forces to a heightened state of readiness following the American attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prematurely broke off a visit to Greece.
European allies from the US, including the United Kingdom, France and Germany, have said they are worried about further escalation of tensions.
The American embassy advised all Americans in Iraq to leave the country. Dutch people in Baghdad received the same advice from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and France advised its citizens on Friday to stay away from public meetings and not to take pictures on the street.
Experts say that it is unlikely that Iran will aim for an open conflict, since the Iranian forces cannot cope with the American ones. They consider it more likely that Iran will use its influence in the region to carry out retaliation on a smaller scale, for example through pro-Iranian militias in countries such as Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.
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