Iran Claims US Called For Deescalation After Soleimani Assassination
The Iranian Foreign Minister claims the US called for immediate deescalation after its airstrike which killed Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed that Washington sent a message calling for calm, in addition to claiming the US had made several offers following the death of Soleimani, suggesting that if the Islamic Republic did not react, some sanctions would be lifted.
However, it is unclear why the revelations are being made now since this has never been stated by Iranian officials before, and there have been no previous indications of it from either side to corroborate the latest claims.
Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in 2020 on the orders of then-President Donald Trump, who said that the top military commander was actively planning attacks on American diplomats and service members in the region in addition to members of the administration.
Five days after Soleimani's death, Iran launched ballistic missiles at the Iraqi base hosting US troops. While no Americans were killed, there were reports of dozens of servicemen suffering concussion due to the powerful explosions.Since then, the Islamic Republic has maintained its threats of revenge for Soleimani including at a recent speech given by the Iranian president at the United Nations General Assembly.
Plots were discovered in the United States aimed at assassinating former US National Security Advisor John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.