The US Embassy in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has called on all American citizens to leave country immediately following President Donald Trump’s order to assassinate Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani.
Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were killed in US airstrikes in the Iraqi capital Baghdad early on Friday.
The IRGC confirmed in a statement that Soleimani and al-Muhandis were martyred in the attack carried out by US helicopters. The Iraqi pro-government group also confirmed the incident.
The US Defense Department confirmed the strike, saying it came "at the direction of the president".
Democratic leaders in both chambers of Congress expressed outrage over Trump's ordered strike, saying the Republican president did not obtain congressional approval.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
