Trump says U.S. will target 52 sites if Iran retaliates for strike

Updated 18m ago

Iraqi parliament votes to expel U.S. military

Lawmakers in Iraq's parliament voted Sunday in favor of a resolution that calls for ending foreign military presence in the country. The resolution's main aim is to get the U.S. to withdraw some 5,000 U.S. troops present in different parts of Iraq.

The Iraqi resolution specifically calls for ending an agreement in which Washington sent troops to Iraq more than four years ago to help in the fight against ISIS.

The resolution was backed by most Shiite members of parliament, who hold a majority of seats.

Many Sunni and Kurdish legislators did not show up for the session, apparently because they oppose abolishing the deal. — The Associated Press

Updated 8:46 AM

U.S. military pauses anti-ISIS operations

The military says it is pausing operations against ISIS fighters in Iraq to focus on protecting coalition forces inside the country. The Combined Joint Task Force leading U.S. efforts announced the suspension on Sunday. 

“Repeated rocket attacks over the last two months by elements of Kata'ib Hezbollah have caused the death of Iraqi Security Forces personnel and a U.S. civilian,” the task force said in a statement, referring to the Iraqi militia backed by Iran. “As a result we are now fully committed to protecting the Iraqi bases that host Coalition troops.”

“This has limited our capacity to conduct training with partners and to support their operations against Daesh and we have therefore paused these activities, subject to continuous review,” the statement continued, using an alternative name for the terrorist group.

The task force said the U.S. remains “resolute as partners of the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi people that have welcomed us into their country to help defeat ISIS.”

Updated 8:10 AM

Warren tweets Trump is “threatening to commit war crimes”

Senator Elizabeth Warren responded to a tweet from Mr. Trump in which he stated the United States has 52 Iranian sites targeted should Iran strike “any Americans, or American assets,” saying that Mr. Trump was “threatening to commit war crimes.”

“You are threatening to commit war crimes,” Warren said in a tweet with a screenshot of Mr. Trump's tweet embedded. “We are not at war with Iran. The American people do not want a war with Iran. This is a democracy. You do not get to start a war with Iran, and your threats put our troops and diplomats at greater risk. Stop.”

The tweet from Mr. Trump noted that the targeted sites are “at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture.”

9:58 PM

Biden calls Trump tweets “incredibly dangerous and irresponsible”

Speaking briefly outside his hotel in Iowa on Saturday, former Vice President Joe Biden sharply criticized President Trump's tweets from earlier in the day “warning” Iran.

“No President has the right to take a country to war without the informed consent of the American people. The informed consent,” Biden said. “And right now we have no idea what this guy has in mind.”

“But when you make statements like that it just seems to me he's going off on a tweetstorm of his own and it's incredibly dangerous and irresponsible,” Biden continued. “I have no idea whether he has coordinated with any of our allies. I have no idea if he has the support of his own generals and national security team. This is a guy who seems to be unmoored.”

7:38 PM

Pelosi calls for “immediate, comprehensive briefing” of full Congress

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Saturday night saying the classified War Powers notification “prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing, manner and justification of the Administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran.” 

Pelosi raised concerns about the document being classified, and called for an “immediate, comprehensive briefing” of the full Congress.

“The Trump Administration's provocative, escalatory and disproportionate military engagement continues to put servicemembers, diplomats and citizens of America and our allies in danger,” Pelosi's statement said. “This initiation of hostilities was taken without an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iran, without the consultation of the Congress and without the articulation of a clear and legitimate strategy to either the Congress or the public.”

6:37 PM / January 4, 2020

Trump tweets “warning” about Iranian retaliation

President Trump tweeted Saturday night that the U.S. has targeted “52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago)” for attack if Iran retaliates for Soleimani's death. “Let this serve as a WARNING,” Mr. Trump wrote.

In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump wrote that Iran is “talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge.” Mr. Trump said the sites targeted include “some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD.”

Updated 5:30 PM / January 4, 2020

House and Senate receive formal notification

The House and Senate have received formal notification of the Soleimani strike under the War Powers Act. 

“We are acting consistent with the statute's outline, but like all administrations since the law went into effect, we don't believe it is constitutional or that it requires us to do anything,” a senior administration official told CBS News about sending the notification. 

Updated 5:11 PM / January 4, 2020

White House to notify Congress of Soleimani strike under War Powers Act

The White House will send formal notification to Congress about the airstrike that killed Soleimani under the War Powers Act, CBS News has confirmed. Congress is required under the War Powers Act to received notification within 48 hours of a strike that could lead to war. 

News of the notification was first reported by The New York Times. According to the Times, there likely will be a public portion of the notification and a classified portion. 

2:54 PM / January 4, 2020

Sources say mortar lands in Baghdad

Sources told CBS News that a mortar hit near the compound of the al-Jadriah Palace in Baghdad on Saturday. It hit outside the Green Zone, which is where foreign embassies including the U.S. Embassy are located. The sources say no one was injured.

Updated 1:02 PM / January 4, 2020

Security heightened in U.S. following airstrike

Law enforcement agencies across the country are deploying additional patrols and urging civilians to be vigilant, CBS News' Kenneth Craig reports. In a statement Friday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said the Department of Homeland Security is assessing potential new threats against the U.S., and that the department stands ready.

 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced heightened police presence around the city. Additional officers have been deployed at key landmarks like the UN building.

 

Other cities, like Philadelphia, are following suit. Lincoln Financial Field will see increased security measures for the Philadelphia Eagles' playoff game on Sunday.

 

Police at Los Angeles International Airport, however, say they have not made any adjustments to security protocols due to the lack of a credible threat.

 

Meanwhile, U.S. military units are on high alert to protect some American embassies in Africa and the Middle East. Security alerts are issued for U.S. embassies in Bahrain, Kuwait and Nigeria.

Updated 12:52 PM / January 4, 2020

Iran expert calls strike on Iranian general “stunningly” stupid and counterproductive

An expert on Iran called the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani this week “stunningly” stupid and counterproductive.

“It was a stunningly, can I say, stupid and counterproductive move on the part of the United States. And we're going to pay the price of this, and the people of the Middle East will pay the price for this for years to come,” said Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, a think tank.

Slavin said in an interview with “CBS This Morning: Saturday” that she sees winners and losers from the strike.

“Winners from this are ISIS, al Qaeda, Sunni fundamentalists that hate Iran as well as the United States, Russia, China, which will become more powerful in the Middle East,” Slavin said.

Read more 

10:04 AM / January 4, 2020

U.S. men's soccer team moves training from Qatar to Florida

“Due to the developing situation in the region, U.S. Soccer has decided to postpone traveling to Qatar for the Men's National Team's scheduled January training camp,” U.S. Soccer said Friday in a statement. 

It later said the men's team will open its annual January training camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. 

“We are working with the Qatar Football Association to find an opportunity in the near future for our team to experience Qatar's world-class facilities and hospitality,” it said. 

Updated 9:47 AM / January 4, 2020

Iran is in a three-day period of mourning

Iran on Friday declared three days of public mourning following the death of Soleimani, whose body will be returned to Iran for a burial in his hometown following a funeral, BBC News reports. 

On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Soleimani's home in the Iranian capital to express his condolences. 

“The Americans did not realize what a great mistake they made,” Rouhani said, according to The Associated Press. “They will see the effects of this criminal act, not only today but for years to come.”  

Billboards showing Soleimani and vowing “harsh revenge” against the U.S. were seen on major streets in Iran on Saturday, the AP reported. 

Updated 8:24 AM / January 4, 2020

Mourners march in funeral procession through Baghdad

Thousands of people were marching Saturday in a funeral procession through Baghdad for Soleimani and Iraqi militant leaders who were killed in Friday's strike. Streets were packed with sadness, shock and anger, CBS News correspondent Ian Lee reports from Iraq's capital. 

The procession started in Baghdad at one of the most revered sites among Shiite Muslims, the Imam Kadhim shrine, The Associated Press reports. Mourners, who carried Iraqi flags and flags of militias backed by Iran, were also mourning senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

People chanted “No, No, America” and “Death to America, death to Israel.”   

Even Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi was seen among the crowd, while in Iran, protesters had tears in their eyes and “Death to America” on their lips. For many there, Soleimani was a symbol, a folk hero, now enshrined in martyrdom.

Updated 8:52 AM

U.S. national security adviser claims strike was “fully authorized” under 2002 resolution

President Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, claimed Friday night that the strike was “fully authorized” under the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution.

“This was something that was — the president felt was necessary to do,” O'Brien said on a call with reporters. “The president exercised America's clear, inherent right of self-defense to counter this threat. It was a fully authorized action under the 2002 — under the AUMF, and was consistent with his constitutional authority as Commander-in-Chief to defend our national, and our forces against attacks like those that Soleimani has directed in the past and was plotting now.”

Updated 7:05 PM / January 3, 2020

Iran calls on the U.N. to condemn the U.S. for “unlawful criminal act”

Iran's ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote a letter Friday to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the president of the UN's Security Council, calling on the organization to condemn the strike. The letter calls the U.S. attack “an obvious example of state terrorism.” 

The letter further claims that the attack “constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including, in particular, those stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations and thus entails the international responsibility of the United States.” 

“It is incumbent upon the Security Council to uphold its responsibilities and condemn this unlawful criminal act, taking into account the dire implications of such military adventurism and dangerous provocations by the United States on international peace and security,” Ravanchi added. 

Iran's foreign minister has also spoken with Guterres over the phone to discuss what Iran is calling the “Ghassem Soleimani assassination,” according to a tweet from the minister of Iran's mission to the U.N. 

Updated 5:49 PM / January 3, 2020

Gang of Eight won't be formally briefed until next week

The formal briefing for the Gang of Eight, a group of eight high-ranking congressional leaders from both parties, won't happen until next week, according to a senior administration official directly involved in congressional outreach on the strike.

The briefing will only happen when all are assembled in person and occur “as soon as those members are available next week,” the official said. When asked if the briefing could be completed via video conference, the official said briefings of this magnitude “are done in person.” 

The official also said the White House “would not rule out an all-member briefing before the end of next week.” That would be for House members and senators, separately.

Updated 5:13 PM / January 3, 2020

State Department denies Soleimani's killing was an “assassination”

At a briefing at the State Department, three senior officials stressed that the killing of Soleimani was carried out to head off an attack on Americans – and that it was a justifiable action taken in self-defense. 

The officials could not say how far along the plot was or whether Soleimani's death means the threat is over, but they did say the threat was to Americans in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the region. They added that the attack targeted “American diplomats, American military personnel and facilities that house Americans.” 

“The threat picture that the intelligence presented made it very clear that in the absence of decisive action, hundreds of Americans would be killed,” one official said.   

Officials pushed back against calling Soleimani's death an “assassination.” One official said,”It's not an assassination.” Another said non-judicial executions are not allowed under international law, but there are certain criteria for this kind of action, including if the individual is about to launch a lethal attack and there is no realistic judicial or law enforcement alternative. 

“And so you take lethal action against him,” the official said. “This is something that we've done many times over Democrat and Republican administrations that I've served in. It's the same criteria that's applied in this case and all cases.”

Officials added that “Whether the specific plots that he has unleashed were so far advanced that they may be able to carry them out, I don't know. But my strong impression is that everybody in his little foreign legion is scurrying for cover. In fact, I think you can take my word on that that they are scurrying for cover.” 

“We are not safe in the region as long as Iran is pursuing this general strategy —but we are safer without him than we are with him,” they added. 

Updated 4:51 PM / January 3, 2020

Trump: “We took action last night to stop a war”

President Trump spoke publicly about Soleimani's death for the first time on Friday at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida.

“Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him,” Mr. Trump said. 

“For years the Islamic Revolutionary military Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds Force under Solemani's leadership has targeted, injured and murdered hundreds of American civilians and serviceman,” he said. “The recent attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq — including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly, as well as a violent assault on our American embassy in Baghdad — were carried out at the direction of Soleimani.”

He said what the U.S. did yesterday “should have been done long ago.”

“We took action last night to stop a war,” he said. “We did not take action to start a war.”

Mr. Trump said the United States does “not seek regime change” in Iran, but said that the country's aggression in the region, “including the use of proxy fighters to destabilize its neighbors must end and it must end now.”

The president also appeared to address concerns that the death of Soleimani will trigger retaliatory attacks from Iran.  

“The United States has the best military by far anywhere in the world, we have the best intelligence in the world,” he said. “If any Americans anywhere are threatened — we have all of those targets already fully identified — and I am ready and prepared to take whatever action is necessary, and that in particular refers to Iran.”

Updated 3:38 PM / January 3, 2020

Operation against Soleimani was set in motion before embassy attack

According to officials, the attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad this week, while highly visible, was not what instigated the plan to kill Soleimani, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports. The operation against him was set in motion after an American defense contractor was killed last week in Kirkuk in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, Martin said.

“That's when the original direction was given: ‘we're gonna take this guy out,'” said Martin.

“The attack on the base which killed an American was carried out by an Iranian-backed militia which is directly controlled, according to U.S. intelligence, by Soleimani,” Martin reports. “So that is what got this going.”

The U.S. military was simultaneously picking up intelligence in which Soleimani was talking about a “big action,” according to Martin. “He was traveling around the Middle East in what U.S. intelligence believed were a final series of briefings with local militias before this so-called ‘big action' was put into play.”

He was in Syria then went to Lebanon and flew to Iraq. “When he landed at Baghdad airport there were two Reaper drones circling overhead,” Martin reports. Soleimani got into one vehicle while others in his party got into another vehicle. They then took off down the airport road, which is when the drones fired two missiles at each vehicle and “scored direct hits,” Martin said.

“You have these relatively small explosions … setting off what promises to be a real earthquake in the Middle East,” Martin reports.

Updated 3:02 PM / January 3, 2020

U.S. tracked Soleimani for days before deadly strike

A U.S. government official said the U.S. tracked Soleimani for a number of days ahead of the airstrike that killed him, CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge reports. Soleimani had a “frenetic series of travel” over the past few days that ultimately brought him to Baghdad. 

“When an operative is on the move, that is the moment when we're in the best position to take a strike,” Herridge said. 

“Soleimani is someone who is so experienced that it seems unlikely that he would make such a basic … operational security mistake. So it was either arrogance, one of my contacts said, or he was under extreme time pressure that may have been connected to this active plot that Secretary Pompeo has described,” said Herridge.

Updated 1:18 PM / January 3, 2020

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Thousands in Tehran condemn Soleimani's killing

Thousands of people took to the streets in Iran's capital after Muslim prayers on Friday. They chanted “Death to deceitful America” and waved posters of Soleimani, The Associated Press reported. 

Agence France-Presse reported they were protesting American “crimes.” Men and women took part in the demonstrations.

“The axis of any evil is America, the motto of religion and the Koran is death to America,” they said.

One group of men set an American flag on fire, Agence France-Presse reported. 

Updated 3:39 PM / January 3, 2020

Iran names Soleimani's replacement

The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has named Soleimani's replacement. He appointed Major General Esmail Ghaani, Soleimani's deputy, as the commander of the Quds Force.

“Following the martyrdom of the glorious general haj Qassem Soleimani, I appoint the honorable Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani — who has been among the most prominent IRGC Commanders during the Sacred Defense and has served along martyr Soleimani in the Quds force in the region for years — as the new commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Khamenei said in a statement posted on Twitter. 

Ghaani has been deputy commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, for over two decades, Reuters reports.

Ghaani was quoted by Iranian media In 2017 as saying that President Trump's “threats against Iran will damage America … We have buried many … like Trump and know how to fight against America.”

According to the supreme leader's statement, the Quds Force strategy under Ghaani “will be identical to that during the time of Martyr General Soleimani.”

Updated 8:51 AM

Former CIA official calls Soleimani's death an earthquake “of staggering magnitude”

Marc Polymeropoulos, a 26-year veteran of the CIA who retired from the agency's Senior Intelligence Service in June, said Americans need to be prepared for “a long bloody and messy war — likely asymmetric, where Americans civilians may die, where thousands more US troops may find themselves deployed to the region, and where the U.S. may become embroiled once again in a long Middle East conflict.” 

 

He described the death of Soleimani as “an earthquake in the Middle East of staggering magnitude” and said “the possibility of escalation with Iran is immense, and given Soleimani's stature, Iran will be compelled to retaliate.”

 

He said the U.S. should immediately reinforce its embassies and military facilities in the region and worldwide. 

 

“The American public needs to understand that we may lose American lives after this act,” Polymeropoulos said. 

 

He also said “there is no question” the strike was justified given that Soleimani had “the blood of hundreds of Americans on his hands.” He also said, citing the statement issued by Pentagon, that the strike was “likely required” to defend against ongoing threats – though it was “not akin” to the raids that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden or ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. It would not have been hard to know Soleimani's whereabouts at any given time, particularly in Iraq, he said.

 

“There's nothing that goes on there that we don't know about. It's just a matter of, ‘Do you really want to do this?'” he said. — Olivia Gazis and Sarah Lynch Baldwin 

Updated 5:17 PM / January 3, 2020

NYPD and LAPD monitoring developments

The police departments for New York City and Los Angeles said they are monitoring development's following Soleimani's death. 

“The NYPD continues to closely monitor the events in Iran and across the region for any further developments,” the NYPD said in a statement on Friday, CBS News' Jeff Pegues reports. “While there are no specific or credible threats in New York City, the Department has deployed additional resources to sensitive locations across the city out of an abundance of caution.”

The LAPD also said there is no credible threat to Los Angeles at this time, but they are monitoring events developing in Iran. City officials are in communication with state, local, federal and international law enforcement partners. 

“The Department is committed to ensuring the safety of our vibrant and diverse community, and we ask every Angeleno to say something if you see something,” the LAPD said in a statement, CBS Los Angeles reports. 

A law enforcement source said federal, state and local law enforcement across the country are being advised by officials from the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to remain vigilant of potential targets within the United States of interest to Iran, CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton reports.  

The source said there is no specific threat, but law enforcement are being asked to be watchful of suspicious activity such as possible surveillance activities being conducted by individuals.

The Arlington National Cemetery also announced it was ramping up security. “Effective immediately, all visitors 16 years and older (pedestrians, drivers and passengers) must present a valid state or government issued photo identification upon entering the cemetery,” the cemetery wrote on Twitter. 

Updated 12:02 PM / January 3, 2020

U.S. troops on high alert

There are 9,000 U.S. forces currently in the region, and 3,000 more ready to deploy. The troops are now preparing for possible retaliation and are on high alert, CBS News' Ian Lee reports.

Hours before the airstrike that killed Soleimani, U.S. troops from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Kuwait, Iraq's neighbor. The troops were sent in response to the recent attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. An estimated 6,000 Iraqis gathered at the embassy on Tuesday and several dozen managed to get into what a senior U.S. official described to CBS News as a reception area just outside the compound after scaling a wall. Protesters were railing against American airstrikes that killed 25 fighters from an Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq.

On Friday morning, Iran-backed Hezbollah vowed to avenge Soleimani's death. The group ordered its “resistance fighters” around the world to avenge Soleimani.    

American allies in the region, like Israel, are also preparing for possible retaliation and are on high alert. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement in support of Mr. Trump's decision.

“Just as Israel has the right of self-defense, the United States has exactly the same right. Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the death of American citizens and many other innocent people. He was planning more such attacks,” reads Netanyahu's statement. “President Trump deserves all the credit for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively. Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense.”

Updated 8:51 AM

Oil prices surge

The price of oil surged on concerns that Iran might respond to Soleiman's killing by disrupting global supplies of energy from the Middle East. The international benchmark for crude oil jumped more than 4%.

During past flare-ups with the United States, Iran threatened the supply of oil. About 20% of crude traded worldwide goes through the Strait of Hormuz, where the shipping lane is only 2 miles wide and tankers have come under attack. — The Associated Press 

Updated 12:06 PM / January 3, 2020

Iran and Iraq are furious

Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, condemned the attacks on Twitter: “The US' act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani—THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al—is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.”

Iran's Defense Minister, Amir Hatami, was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying the Islamic republic would take a “crushing revenge” for Soleimani's assassination “from all those involved and responsible.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi called it “an aggression against the country of Iraq, its state, its government and its people,” and warned that it risked sparking a “devastating war.” 

He said the strike was a “flagrant violation of the conditions authorizing the presence of U.S. troops” in Iraq.

U.N. Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions Agnes Callamard questioned the Trump administration's justification for the strikes in a series of tweets early Friday and called them “unlawful” for the fact that others were killed.

Updated 10:27 AM / January 3, 2020

State Department tells Americans in Iraq to leave immediately

The State Department issued a security alert overnight telling all Americans in Iraq to leave the country immediately.

“U.S. citizens should depart via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land,” it said. “Due to Iranian-backed militia attacks at the U.S. Embassy compound, all public consular operations are suspended until further notice. U.S. citizens should not approach the Embassy.”

Updated 8:52 AM

U.S. politicians react

Reaction from lawmakers in Washington was split along party lines. Democratic Senator Tom Udall, from New Mexico, called the attack a “reckless escalation of hostilities” that would bring the nation “to the brink of an illegal war with Iran.”

In a statement issued late Thursday, House Speaker and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called Mr. Trump's move a “provocative and disproportionate” response to Iran's recent actions.

“Tonight's airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America — and the world — cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return,” Pelosi said, chastising the White House for carrying out the strike “without the consultation of the Congress.”

“The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration,” Pelosi said.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted his support: “I appreciate President @realDonaldTrump's bold action against Iranian aggression. To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more.” 

Republican Senator Ben Sasse called Soleimani “an evil bastard who murdered Americans,” and praised Mr. Trump for his “brave and right call.” 

Updated 11:36 AM / January 3, 2020

Soleimani and the Quds Force

A former U.S. intelligence official described Soleimani as “most experienced guerrilla fighter operating globally,” running operations with Iranian forces and proxy militias in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. The official described his death as “devastating,” and said the “very disruptive” assassination would likely cause a power struggle in Iran.  

In April 2019, the U.S. designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the Quds Force, a “foreign terrorist organization.” In making the announcement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo singled out Soleimani. 

“With this designation, we are sending a clear signal, a clear message to Iran's leaders, including Qassem Soleimani and his band of thugs, that the United States is bringing all pressure to bear to stop the regime's outlaw behavior,” Pompeo said at the time. 

Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser under Barack Obama who was instrumental in the 2014 Iran nuclear deal, said there's “no question that Soleimani has a lot of blood on his hands.”

“But this is a really frightening moment,” he added. “Iran will respond and likely in various places. Thinking of all US personnel in the region right now.” 

More than 700 Army paratroopers are headed to Kuwait, and as many as 5,000 more paratroopers and U.S. Marines were expected to be sent to the Persian Gulf in the coming days.

While speaking to reporters off camera earlier Thursday, Esper said there were indications militias loyal to Iran were planning further attacks against Americans. 

“Do I think they may do something? Yes, and they will likely regret it,” he said.