In Pictures

In Pictures: US kills Iran’s Qassem Soleimani in air strike

The attack comes amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.

This photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, early Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. The Penta — This photograph released by the Iraqi prime minister's press office shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an air strike in Baghdad. [AP Photo]

The United States has killed General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC’s) Quds Force, and architect of its regional security apparatus, in an air strike at Baghdad International Airport.

Tensions between the US and Iran escalated dramatically on Friday after the killings of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi group.

The White House and the Pentagon confirmed the killing of Soleimani in Iraq, saying the attack was carried out at the direction of US President Donald Trump and was aimed at deterring future attacks allegedly being planned by Iran.

The attack occurred amid tensions with the US after an Iran-backed militia and its supporters attempted to storm the US embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday in protest against recent US air attacks on PMF sites in Iraq and Syria that killed 25 fighters.

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader''s office shows Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Lieutenant general and commander of the Quds Force Qasem Soleimani (C) during a m — Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed on Friday in a US air raid at the Baghdad airport. [EPA]

US President Donald Trump did not comment on the strikes, but shortly after reports surfaced of the raids, he tweeted a photo of an American flag. — US President Donald Trump did not comment on the attack, but shortly after reports on high-profile killings, he tweeted a picture of an American flag. [Twitter]

A picture published by the media office of the Iraqi military''s joint operations forces on their official Facebook page shows what they said was a destroyed vehicle on fire following a US strike on Ja — In the wee hours on Friday, a volley of US missiles hit Baghdad International Airport, striking a convoy belonging to the Hashd al-Shaabi, an Iraqi paramilitary force with close ties to Iran. Soleimani was killed in the US strike, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between Washington and Tehran. [AFP]

A handout photo made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader''s office shows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (L) greeting Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Lieutenant general and — Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, greeting Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) lieutenant general and commander of the Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, right, during a religious ceremony in Tehran, March 27, 2015. [File: EPA]

Protesters demonstrate over the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 3, 2020. Iran has vowed "harsh retaliation" for the U.S. airs — Iran has promised 'harsh retaliation' for the US air raids at Baghdad International Airport that killed Tehran's top general and the architect of its interventions across the Middle East, as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing. [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]

A woman walks past an Anti US mural on the former US embassy''s wall in Tehran, Iran. [Nazanin Tabatabaee/West Asia News Agency/Reuters] — A woman walks past an anti-US mural on the wall of a building that once housed the US embassy in Tehran, Iran. [Nazanin Tabatabaee/West Asia News Agency/Reuters]

An Iraqi soldier stands guard in front of smoke rising from a fire set by pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters in the U.S. embassy compound, Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. U.S. troops — An Iraqi soldier stands guard in front of smoke rising from a fire set by Iran-backed militias and their supporters in the US embassy compound, Baghdad. [Nasser Nasser/AP Photo]

A protester places a shoe at a placard with U.S. President Donald Trump illustration outside the U.S. Embassy during a protest to condemn air strikes on bases belonging to Hashd al-Shaabi (paramilitar — A protester places a shoe on a placard with an illustration of US President Donald Trump outside the US embassy during a protest to condemn US air raids on bases belonging to Hashd al-Shaabi, in Baghdad. [Khalid al-Mousily/Reuters]

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC) 19.2, reinforce the U.S. Embassy Compound in — Following the protests, the US sent Marines to reinforce the US embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq. [Reuters]