US Department of Defense: "Soleimani Airstrike Ordered by President Trump"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. Department of Defense announced that it carried out an airstrike killing Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), under the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump. As the likelihood of Iranian retaliation and U.S. military intervention increases, experts predict that the situation in the Middle East will become extremely unstable and unpredictable.

On the 2nd (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense stated in a press release, "Under the President's orders, we killed Commander Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps." The Pentagon emphasized that this action was a defensive measure to protect U.S. personnel overseas. According to the Department of Defense, the Quds Force led by Soleimani had repeatedly attacked U.S. military bases in Iraq over the past several months, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of U.S. and coalition troops and thousands of injuries. The Quds Force is a special unit of the IRGC that has supported the formation and training of Shiite militia groups in Iraq.

According to the Associated Press, citing a senior Iraqi politician, Soleimani arrived at Baghdad Airport around midnight on the 3rd (local time) via a transport plane and was killed immediately after disembarking in a U.S. airstrike. The U.S. military is believed to have used drone strikes and ground-based rocket attacks. After the airstrike, Soleimani's body was shattered, and his death was confirmed by a ring he was wearing on his hand. Seven people, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq who was with Soleimani, were reported killed in the attack.

According to the British daily The Guardian, Soleimani, who was killed in the airstrike directly ordered by President Trump, was the commander of the Quds Force, the elite special forces unit of the IRGC. The Quds Force is responsible for supporting and commanding pro-Iranian Shiite armed groups and government forces overseas in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and other countries. Soleimani was known as a powerful figure within the Iranian military, advocating a hardline stance externally. Consequently, the U.S. and Israel have viewed the Shiite armed groups supported by the Quds Force as a major threat, accusing them of attacking U.S. and coalition forces and carrying out terrorist acts. It has also been suggested that Soleimani was behind the recent increase in clashes between U.S. and Iranian proxy Shiite militias in Iraq.

With the U.S. government confirming the direct execution of the airstrike, concerns are rising over potential Iranian retaliation and armed conflict with U.S. forces. On the 2nd (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters, "The game has changed," adding, "If there are signs of further Iranian provocations and they are sufficiently dangerous, we will respond preemptively."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.