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U.S. Forces Assassinate Iranian Military Leader Qassem Soleimani In Airstrike

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Iran's president vows to "take revenge" for the U.S. killing of a top military commander in a drone strike at Baghdad airport early Friday morning.

Qassem Soleimani was the head of Iran's Quds Force and his assassination marks a major escalation in the tensions that have soared in the region since an Iranian-backed militia killed an American contractor in last week in Iraq. Friday's drone strike also killed the founder of that militia, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

The State Department is urging U.S. citizens to leave Iraq immediately, amid fears of retaliation.

Here & Now's Tonya Mosley gets the latest from NPR national security correspondent David Welna (@NPRwelna).

This segment aired on January 3, 2020.

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