The airstrike which led to the death of Iranian top General and Guards Commander, Quaseem Soleimani and Iraqi Commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis which the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif sharply criticized the US and calling it “extremely dangerous” and a “foolish escalation.”
The Iran Vs US threats took a turn on Wednesday as Iran fired a number of missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for the American strike that killed a top Iranian general last week.
A US official told CNN that there were no initial reports of any US casualties from the attack, but an assessment of the impact of the strikes is underway. Iraq’s joint military command said there were no casualties among Iraqi military forces.
Ilan Goldenberg, a senior fellow and director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington had these to say…
“At the moment, we’re not at war. We are in a highly escalatory situation. We are in a shadow war. We’re not at war. And being at war would mean having to go to Congress and get approval for that.
So we’re not at war. Are we a step closer? Maybe. I’m actually not sure we’re a step closer. We may even be a step farther away because if this was the extent of Iran’s, at least its initial, public retaliation — it could have been worse. But if it’s the beginning of more public retaliation, that’s different”
Although, The IRGC warned the US of more “crushing responses in case of new aggression,” according to state TV. It said it would target any regional state that becomes a platform for US aggression.
Remember earlier the president also said “If Iran does anything that it shouldn’t be doing, they will be suffering the consequences and very strongly”
US defends killing
To defend the killings, the US Department of Defense announced that the US military, acting on the orders of President Trump, “has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani.”. President Trump ordered the airstrike that took out General Soleimani (AFP)
The US said that Soleimani was directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US service members over the years, as well as more recent attacks on US personnel.
The Pentagon said that the general was planning additional attacks that threatened US personnel and interests in the region.
Iran’s vow of revenge
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed “harsh revenge” against the US for the killing of Soleimani. “His pure blood was shed in the hands of the most depraved of human beings,” Khamenei said in a statement.
So should we get ready for war111 in retaliation to these attacks? Or, are we closer to war? Or does it ultimately depend on what the United States do in response and what Iran does next.
I was casually strolling around twitter late at night when I started seeing tweets and memes about the attacks on US troops. Some of us didn’t witness war threats so it sort of instills fear especially when we see them on TV and in the movies, never in reality. But now that Iran has attacked, what comes next? What does Trump have to say? And what’s the stand of African countries and Nigeria included?
Nigeria over the weekend issued a nationwide red alert over the incident whiles over in South Africa, the ruling party bared its teeth at the foolhardy Americans. Also in the mix is how Kenya was an Iranian target at a point.
South Africa’s African National Congress, ANC, in a statement called the U.S. airstrike that killed Soleimani as “inhumane.” They called on the United Nations to take action against “this act of international terrorism” and for restraint between countries.
On the other hand, Nigerian police on Sunday issued a nationwide red alert over the death of Soleimani, stating that the move was a proactive measure to thwart trouble makers.
“This proactive measure follows Intelligence Report that sequel to the recent killing of an Iranian General; some domestic interests are planning to embark on massive public disturbances and sabotage,” the statement read. The statement also stated that deployments will be rolled out in overt and covert operations to quell any signs of protests. “Meanwhile, the IGP has assured all Nigerians and foreigners resident in Nigeria of adequate security. He has equally warned all potential troublemakers to steer clear of the streets and territory of Nigeria”
But unfortunately, the Shia sect in Nigeria, led by the jailed Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, pledged allegiance to Iran. In a statement signed by its spokesperson Ibrahim Musa, IMN said the US killing of Soleimani is a “declaration of war on Iran, which has now dangerously made the world on the edge of a very destructive war. For quite some time now, President Trump has been looking for ways to drag the Iranian nation to a senseless war.
“However the US killers, God willing, will not be able to achieve any of their goals with this great crime. Rather, all of Hajj Qassem’s goals will be accomplished by the greatness of his soul and blood. This will be accomplished by his brothers, children, and students from resistance men and mujahideen from all the peoples of the world that reject humiliation and submission to the tyrants of this century”
Although Africa does not appear to be a focal point of the emerging conflict between Iran and the U.S., but that could change.
