It was revealed on Thursday that President Trump had ordered a drone airstrike on Iran that resulted in the death of the country's commander of the Quds Force, Major General Qassem Soleimani. The strike reportedly occurred at the Baghdad International Airport where Soleimani was riding in his vehicle, and now, alleged footage of the strike has been released. Per TMZ, a video from the Al-Ahed channel, an independent Iraqi television network, shows the blast occurring, though the clip has yet to be confirmed by other major news outlets as verified footage of the attack. TMZ also included a photo of the aftermath of the strike, in which a vehicle near Baghdad International Airport can be seen burning. Three rockets were said to have been launched at the site in the strike. Six people were reportedly killed in total.
The announcement of the attack and subsequent death of Soleimani on Thursday sent many U.S. citizens into a panic. Many believe that this direct targeting of the Iranian commander is sure to heighten tensions between the U.S. and the Middle East, and Iran has already promised retaliatory attacks. These fears from Americans even escalated into claims that this move would result in World War III.
Donald Trump Orders Airstrike That Killed Iranian General, Twitter Shares WWIII Memes
Major General Qassem Soleimani was reportedly responsible for the deaths of many American servicemen.
The impeached American President is no stranger to controversy, but news of his latest move had the internet concerned over an impending World War III. On Thursday, it was revealed that President Donald Trump ordered a drone airstrike in Iraq that resulted in the death of the country's commander of the Quds Force, Major General Qassem Soleimani.
Handout / Handout / Getty Images
“At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the Department of Defense reportedly said in a statement. “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region...his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.”
The airstrike reportedly occurred at the Baghdad International Airport as Soleimani was riding in his vehicle after returning from Syria. The Department of Defense stated Soleimani was responsible for orchestrating "attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months — including the attack on December 27th — culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel...The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world."
The news brought about more than a few reactions from the public and suddenly there was a concern over an impending world war. Although some believe that war is nothing to laugh about, a few Twitter users missed the memo. Check out a few light-hearted reactions to the troubling news below.
