US diplomat: Soleimani plotting to kill Americans

(8 Jan 2020) US Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Brian Hook spoke about the Iranian threat at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. In his remarks on Tuesday, he said that Iranian Gen. Quassem Solemani was plotting to kill more Americans. Soleimani was targeted in an airstrike while he was at an airport in Baghdad with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a veteran Iraqi militant who also was killed. "President Trump, his first responsibility as commander in chief is to ensure the safety and the security of Americans," he said. "In the Middle East that means American diplomats and American service members who are under threat of imminent attacks from Quassem Solemani." He made his comments before reports of Iranian missiles striking Iraqi airbases housing US troops. In the wake of the killing, Iran has announced that it will no longer be bound by the 2015 nuclear agreement and vowed to retaliate against the US, its allies and American interests. Iraq's parliament also voted to expel US troops from Iraq, which would undermine efforts to fight Islamic State militants in the region and strengthen Iran's influence in the MidEast. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...