His death, if confirmed, would certainly dramatically increase tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which were already heightened by the New Year’s attacks on the American Embassy.
BREAKING: #IRAQ OFFICIAL TV ANNOUNCES #IRAN IRGC LEADER QASSEM SULEIMANI IS ASSASSINATED.
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) January 3, 2020
ALSO KILLED HEAD OF KATAIB HEZBOLLAH ABU MEHDI MUHANDIS https://t.co/K0cJn9rMIc
This is the spark that could set the whole region on fire, given Suleimani is Iran’s most important, visible and powerful military leader.
#BREAKING: Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Deputy Commander of Hashd al-Shaabi and Qassem Solaimi Commander of IRGC killed in Baghdad — Hezbollah’s Mayadeen says. pic.twitter.com/RjPMiZH7F9
— Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) January 3, 2020
Journalists are circulating graphic photos of the blast aftermath, seeking on the ground confirmation of Suleimani’s identity:
Is it the same ring or similar? Asking for expert opinion #Iraq , this is Qassim Sulaimani the Iranian leader of Quds force #Baghdad pic.twitter.com/Xe4viCWKXY
— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil) January 3, 2020
It appears Iranian officials have begun circulating condolences, acknowledging his death.
At the beginning of the last decade, when Gen. Suleimani began becoming a more visible and powerful face of influence in Iran and across the Middle East, one former CIA officer cited in a New Yorker biographical piece on him referred to the IRGC commander as the “most powerful operative in the Middle East today.”
As leader of the Revolutionary Guards’ most elite Quds force, he directed all unconventional warfare and intelligence activities abroad. For that reason Washington and Tel Aviv had long considered him threat #1 within the Iranian military command structure.
Source in #Iran tells me:
— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) January 3, 2020
Senior Iranian diplomats are sharing Gen. Qasem Sulaimani's photo along w/death prayers for him. #Iraq
With war in the Middle East now virtually inevitable, here is the latest US naval deployment as of Jan 2:

It appears the ‘mystery’ strike which took out vehicles along the perimeter of Baghdad International Airport in the early morning hours of Friday was actually a US targeted assassination.