An official statement from the Pentagon revealed that a US drone strike carried out near Baghdad airport has left Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian commander dead.

The Pentagon described the attack as a “decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad”.

According to the statement “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” The statement also said that the commander “had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months.”

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This incident has aggravated an already tense situation in the Middle East threatening even more violence.