{"id":46702,"date":"2020-01-03T01:15:37","date_gmt":"2020-01-03T01:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/03\/iraq-rockets-fired-at-baghdad-airport-7-people-killed\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:43:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:43:38","slug":"iraq-rockets-fired-at-baghdad-airport-7-people-killed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/mideast-africa\/2020\/01\/03\/iraq-rockets-fired-at-baghdad-airport-7-people-killed\/","title":{"rendered":"Fears of new conflict rise after US kills Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in strike on Baghdad airport"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-smg-jwplayer-video\"><atype-video-jwplayer nostick=\"true\" playlisturl=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/v2\/playlists\/fCzRqMW8?tags=f3fcc785-b2cd-4260-9c46-7e02911f9c96\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/video-poster-f3fcc785-b2cd-4260-9c46-7e02911f9c96.jpg\" aspectratio=\"16 \/ 9\" mute autostart=\"false\"><\/atype-video-jwplayer><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Iran&#8217;s top intelligence and security commander was killed in a drone strike on the orders of President Trump, as tensions escalated between the U.S and Iran.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/02\/photos-reveal-damage-to-us-embassy-in-baghdad-following-attack-by-supporters-of-iran-backed-militia\/\" target=\"_blank\">Iran<\/a>\u2019s most revered and powerful military commanders has been killed in a U.S. strike near the Baghdad International Airport, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strike will intensify tensions between the U.S. and Iran and many experts say it escalates the risk of a new conflict spreading across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt 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,\u201d the Department of Defense said in an emailed statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also killed in the strike was a top Iraqi leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which is known as the PMF and is part of a larger umbrella group that includes a number of Shia militant groups supported by Iran..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press that al-Muhandis had arrived to the airport in a convoy to receive Soleimani whose plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria. The airstrike occurred as soon as he descended from the plane to be greeted by al-Muhandis and his companions, killing them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DoD said Soleimani was \u201cactively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon also said Soleimani orchestrated the Dec. 27 rocket attack on the Kirkuk military installation that resulted in the death of an American contractor and wounded four American troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/02\/anyone-who-tries-overrun-the-us-embassy-in-baghdad-will-run-into-a-buzzsaw-says-joint-chiefs-chairman\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Marines-embassy.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Anyone who tries to overrun the US Embassy in Baghdad will \u2018run into a buzzsaw,\u2019 says Joint Chiefs chairman<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cThe game has changed, and we\u2019re prepared to do what is necessary to defend our personnel and our interests and our partners in the region.&quot;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">William Fallon, a retired admiral who ran U.S. Central Command from March 2007 to March 2008, told Military Times that Soleimani\u2019s death is a \u201csignificant blow\u201d to Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is little doubt in my mind he was in Baghdad orchestrating activity,\u201d said Fallon, who pointed to the recent attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad Tuesday by pro-Iranian militants. \u201cThose were not protests, they were coordinated attacks on the embassy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fallon said that while tensions between the U.S. and Iran are likely to ratchet up, he does not anticipate a full-scale war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt will be interesting to see how big a strike back Iran wants to try,\u201d Fallon said, adding that he expects terror attacks and Iranian-backed militia leaders to &#8220;put on a pretty good show against the embassy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey have to be careful about it, as we have seen over the last six months, they are not shy,\u201d said Fallon. \u201cWhether it is tanker attacks, drone attacks, they will likely do something, but they will have to calculate how far they want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As far as an all-out war, \u201cneither side really wants it,\u201d said Fallon. \u201cIt is not in the interest of either party to do it. There is too much to lose. The Iranians have a lot of chess pieces on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mara Karlin \u2015 a former defense official with expertise in the region who most recently served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development \u2015 noted that military officers who served in Iraq during the days when Iran was supplying arms to insurgents have a dark view of Soleimani personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDon\u2019t underestimate the hatred and vitriol that senior U.S. military officials with experience in Iraq have toward Qassem Soleimani,&#8221; she said. &#8220;He has the blood of hundreds of American troops on his hands. The consequences of killing Soleimani \u2015 the most influential Middle East military official for decades \u2015 cannot be underestimated. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A U.S. State Department <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/designation-of-the-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps\/\" target=_blank>report<\/a> estimated that Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was responsible for 17 percent of all deaths of U.S. personnel in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 \u2014 roughly 603 casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strikes prompted an immediate spike in global oil prices Thursday night and set off a debate on Capitol Hill about the White House decision to launch the strike. One lawmaker applauded the killing of Soleimani and calling him \u201can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/01\/03\/killing-of-top-iranian-leader-elicits-praise-worry-from-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\">evil bastard<\/a> who murdered Americans.\u201d Another lawmaker suggested the strike was an assassination that could cause a \u201cmassive regional war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. strike against Soleimani was \u201cone of the most major counter-terror and operations and moves against the Iranians executed by any actor in decades,&#8221; Phillip Smyth, a research fellow with the Washington Institute, told Military Times Thursday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soleimani, as commander of Iran\u2019s Quds force \u2014 which is tasked with carrying out paramilitary and clandestine operations outside of Iran \u2014 has lead Tehran\u2019s irregular wars across Yemen and Syria for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Quds Force commander has been among America\u2019s top adversaries in recent years as he has helped prop up brutal Syrian dictator Bashar Assad\u2019s regime amid a bloody civil war that has ravaged the country since 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in Yemen, Iran has supported Houthi rebels with training and sophisticated drone and missile and anti-ship systems in their fight against the central government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unknown how Iran may retaliate against the death of its military commander who is highly revered in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But researcher Kyle Orton says the U.S. may not be able to absorb what Iran throws at the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">American \u201ctroops are spread too thin, and Iran\u2019s agents too widespread,&#8221; Orton told Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Orton was previously a Syria conflict expert at the Henry Jackson Society \u2014 a London-based think tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf Iran makes the decision to flip the switch, I\u2019m not sure how U.S. forces in Iraq defend themselves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/01\/750-soldiers-with-82nd-airborne-headed-for-centcom-additional-4000-troops-expected-to-deploy-as-iran-tensions-mount\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/c17_troops.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">750 soldiers with 82nd Airborne headed for CENTCOM, additional 4,000 troops expected to deploy as Iran tensions mount<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cAt the direction of the Commander in Chief, I have authorized the deployment of an infantry battalion from the Immediate Response Force (IRF) of the 82nd Airborne Division to the U.S. Central Command area of operations in response to recent events in Iraq,&quot; the defense secretary said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. has deployed more than 14,000 additional troops to the Middle East throughout the past six months. There are more than 60,000 American troops in the CENTCOM theater of operations. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump ordered an additional 4,000 soldiers from the Army\u2019s 82 Airborne Division to deploy to Kuwait to reinforce security in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thursday night, the 82nd Airborne Division announced its paratroopers had arrived in Kuwait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis strike and accompanying raid dealt an incredible blow to Iran\u2019s proxy network across the entire region. They [Iran] will respond violently and likely in multiple theaters,\u201d Jennifer Cafarella, an researcher with the Institute for the Study of War, told Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut they [Iran] will do so deprived of key leaders and the impunity they\u2019ve enjoyed for the last few years. Tonight\u2019s events have likely fundamentally changed the trajectory of the region,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a tweet, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the killing of Soleimani \u201can act of international terrorism\u201d that is \u201cextremely dangerous &amp; a foolish escalation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,&#8221; the DoD said Thursday evening. &#8220;The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The attack came amid rising tension between the U.S. and Iran and a series of attacks and counter-strikes that intensified this week. That included a New Year\u2019s Eve attack by Iran-backed militias on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The two-day embassy attack ended Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The breach at the embassy followed U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah. The U.S. military said the strikes were in retaliation for last week\u2019s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that the U.S. blamed on the militia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. officials have suggested they were prepared to engage in further retaliatory attacks in Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe game has changed,\u201d Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday, telling reporters that violent acts by Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq \u2014 including the rocket attack on Dec. 27 that killed one American \u2014 will be met with U.S. military force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>The Associated Press contributed to this story. <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The US&#39; act of international terrorism, targeting &amp; assassinating General Soleimani\u2014THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al\u2014is extremely dangerous &amp; a foolish escalation.<br><br>The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.<\/p>&mdash; Javad Zarif (@JZarif) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JZarif\/status\/1212946202280579073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 3, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Strike_Hold?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Strike_Hold<\/a> Paratroopers arrived at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait earlier today. Their deployment in support of U.S. Central Command is a precautionary action taken to respond to increased threat levels against U.S. personnel and facilities. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8e8iKiB2vp\">https:\/\/t.co\/8e8iKiB2vp<\/a><\/p>&mdash; All American Division (inactive) (@82ndABNDiv) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/82ndABNDiv\/status\/1212933376459583490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 3, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The US&#39; act of international terrorism, targeting &amp; assassinating General Soleimani\u2014THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al\u2014is extremely dangerous &amp; a foolish escalation.<br><br>The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.<\/p>&mdash; Javad Zarif (@JZarif) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JZarif\/status\/1212946202280579073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 3, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cDon\u2019t underestimate the hatred and vitriol that senior U.S. military officials with experience in Iraq have toward Qassem Soleimani.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":91984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":47,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,11,47,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3502,3325,3378],"class_list":["post-46702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-global","category-mideast-africa","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"LP2ZVLVSLNCMBFA5TMBHQ27JDM","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2020\/01\/03\/iraq-rockets-fired-at-baghdad-airport-7-people-killed\/","remove_feature_photo":true,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fears of new conflict rise after US kills Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in strike on Baghdad airport - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cDon\u2019t underestimate the hatred and vitriol that senior U.S. military officials with experience in Iraq have toward Qassem Soleimani.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fears of new conflict rise after US kills Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in strike on Baghdad airport\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cDon\u2019t underestimate the hatred and vitriol that senior U.S. military officials with experience in Iraq have toward Qassem Soleimani.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/mideast-africa\/2020\/01\/03\/iraq-rockets-fired-at-baghdad-airport-7-people-killed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-03T01:15:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:43:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shawn Snow, Howard Altman, Aaron Mehta\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shawn Snow, Howard Altman, Aaron Mehta\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    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