Trump as US drone kills top general... HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT YEARS AGO
IRAN last night vowed revenge after Donald Trump authorised the killing of its top general.
But the defiant American President claimed: “He should have been taken out many years ago!”
Qassem Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike yesterday as he left Baghdad airport in Iraq with other Iranbacked militia figures.
There are growing fears that his death could spark World War Three, with the US sending 3,000 more troops to the Middle East.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “severe revenge awaits the criminals” who were behind the drone attack.
And military top brass here are worried that British troops could be in the line of fire in any conflict because of our close ties to the US.
BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen warned: “Despite arms embargoes, Iran has developed a modern arsenal of rockets and missiles.
But if they wanted to use them against US forces as part of a reprisal, Iran would risk making matters worse.”
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged “all parties to de-escalate” last night.
He said: “Further conflict is in none of our interests.”
But Mr Trump did little to help ease tensions as he taunted Iran on social media.
Plotting
On Twitter he goaded: “Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!”
And he added: “General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more…
“He was…responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number of PROTESTERS killed in
Iran itself.” However last night Mr Trump insisted the US had “acted to stop a war – it did not take action to start a war”.
Ayatollah Khamenei named General Esmail Ghaani, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm, as Soleimani’s successor.
Soleimani, who led the elite Quds military force, was widely seen as Iran’s most powerful figure after its Supreme Leader.
A statement from the Pentagon said Soleimani had been “developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region”. ●
The killing of Soleimani could lead to higher fuel prices for UK motorists after oil prices spiked amid fears of supply cuts. Traders sent the price of Brent crude, the international standard, soaring 3.6% to $68.75 per barrel.