Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham signaled the United States’ next move against the Islamic Republic of Iran late on Thursday night, warning the Iranian oil refineries may be the next targets.
“U.S. forces killed Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Qod’s Force — which is a designated terrorist organization — in an airstrike in Baghdad as he was traveling to Baghdad International Airport,” The Daily Wire reported. “Also killed in the strike was top Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, who headed the Iranian-linked Popular Mobilization Forces.”
Graham responded to the news by tweeting, “If Iranian aggression continues and I worked at an Iranian oil refinery, I would think about a new career.”
Graham’s remark came in a series of tweets which began by him writing, “Wow – the price of killing and injuring Americans has just gone up drastically. Major blow to Iranian regime that has American blood on its hands. Soleimani was one of the most ruthless and vicious members of the Ayatollah’s regime. He had American blood on his hands.”
“I appreciate President @realDonaldTrump’s bold action against Iranian aggression. To the Iranian government: if you want more, you will get more,” Graham continued. “If Iranian aggression continues and I worked at an Iranian oil refinery, I would think about a new career.”
If Iranian aggression continues and I worked at an Iranian oil refinery, I would think about a new career.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2020
“This action by President Trump and our military was in direct response to Iranian aggression orchestrated by General Soleimani and his proxies,” Graham continued. “If Iran continues to attack America and our allies, they should pay the heaviest of prices, which includes the destruction of their oil refineries.”
Graham concluded, “To the Iranian government: If you want to stay in the oil business leave America and our allies alone and stop being the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world.”
To the Iranian government: If you want to stay in the oil business leave America and our allies alone and stop being the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2020
The Pentagon released the following statement about the operation:
At the direction of the president, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more. He had orchestrated 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. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.
This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.
Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson noted that the State Department reported that Iran responsible for killing at least 608 U.S. troops during Iraq War and that Soleimani led all Iranian and Iranian-backed forces in those operations. Nearly 1 out of every 5 U.S. troops that were killed in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 were killed by attacks orchestrated by Iran.