World

Qasem Soleimani: Iran vows 'severe revenge' for top general's death

January 4, 2020 7:00 am

Iran’s supreme leader has vowed “severe revenge” on those responsible for the death of top military commander Qasem Soleimani.

Soleimani was killed by an air strike at Baghdad airport early on Friday ordered by US President Donald Trump.

The 62-year-old spearheaded Iranian operations in the Middle East as head of the elite Quds Force. Mr Trump said he caused millions of deaths.

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The killing marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Soleimani was widely seen as the second most powerful figure in Iran, behind Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The Quds Force, an elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported directly to the ayatollah and Soleimani was hailed as a heroic national figure.