Iran Promises 'Harsh Retaliation' On US After Death Of General Qasem Soleimani

Iranian authorities have promised 'harsh retaliation' after the death of military commander Qasem Soleimani following a US air strike.

General Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed late Thursday in a targeted strike on a convoy near the airport in Baghdad, Iraq.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that the US would face 'harsh retaliation' after the deadly airstrikes.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement: "This was the biggest US strategic blunder in the West Asia region, and America will not easily escape its consequences."

PA

Speaking to Daily Mail, former CIA operations officer Sam Faddis said: "It is more than possible that Hezbollah has sleeper cells in the United States ready to strike.

"Based on what we know, we must assume they do and that they can hit targets on US soil at any time without warning."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the US was keen to de-escalate the situation, maintaining that the strike was 'lawful' and 'saved lives'.

Speaking to Fox News he said: "We do not seek war with Iran, but we will not stand by and see American lives put at risk."

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has said that as a precaution, security will be heightened in the city.

He said: "No one has to be reminded that New York City is the number one terror target in the United States. We have to recognize that this creates a whole series of dangerous possibilities for our city.

"We have plenty of knowledge of previous efforts by Iranian proxies to scout and target locations in New York City. Hezbollah and others have made it a point in recent years... We know there's been an effort to target and prepare to attack in New York City in the past."

UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killing Agnès Callamard has said the President Trump-approved drone strike may have violated international human rights law.

In a Twitter thread, Callamard said that 'outside the context of active hostilities, the use of drones or other means for targeted killing is almost never likely to be legal'.

She added that the US would need to prove that the person targeted was an imminent threat to other people.

She also addressed the fact that drones being used in another country on the basis of self-defense needed to be justified.

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. After a few years working on festivals and events, she went back to her roots. In her spare time, Amelia likes music, Liverpool FC, and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

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