U.S Airstrike again targeted Iran-Backed Militia just after Killing of Soleimani

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U.S President Donald Trump appeared in Florida to make his first public comments regarding the killing of the veteran Iranian military leader. He appeared just hours after the targeted killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. There was another U.S airstrike and it struck a convoy of Iran-backed militia in Iraq. This airstrike targeted two cars traveling north of Baghdad and containing members of an Iran-backed militia. Some initial reports have indicated more than 5 people have been killed, but there wasn’t any immediate confirmation about the 2^nd attack. An Iraqi military source informed Reuters that 6 members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping of Iran-backed Shi’ite militias were killed and others were injured in this incident.

The group said in a statement and claimed the convoy was made up of medics, instead of senior leaders. The U.S airstrike killed the 62-years-old Iranian military leader in the attack on Thursday. Reaper drones were utilized for this attack and it fired missiles. The reports said the militia commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis was among the other victims. A spokesman for the militia group, Muhammad Ridha Jabri was also killed in the incident. U.S President Trump claimed the U.S killed Soleimani to stop a war not start a new one. But, he also warned Iran against retaliating over the targeted killing of its military commander. Trump said, “Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel but we caught him in the act and terminated him. We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war”.

Trump said he had tremendous respect for the people of Iran and the U.S wasn’t looking regime change. He also added, “The United States has the best military by far, anywhere in the world. We have the best intelligence in the world.  If 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”. It is noteworthy that Iran has responded by threatening revenge. Iranian officials informed the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Iran has the right of self-defense under international law.  The Iranian UN ambassador, Majid Takht Ravanchi said in his letter that the killing of Soleimani was an obvious example of state terrorism and a criminal act, and it violates the fundamental principles of the international law.