Passengers' belongings are collected after a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 crashed shortly after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport.
The crash on Wednesday, which killed all on board, comes at a tense time for both Iran and Boeing. Iran's top general Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike last week, while Boeing is still reeling from the crashes of its 737 Max airplanes.
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TEHRAN, Iran—The millions who turned out across Iran to mourn General Qasem Soleimani have testified to the apparent across-the-board popularity of a figure hailed as a "living martyr" for the Islamic republic.
Rising above divisions in Iran, funeral processions for the Revolutionary Guard commander assassinated in a US drone strike last week in Baghdad drew massive crowds between Sunday and Tuesday in the cities of Ahvaz, Mashhad, Tehran, Qom and finally Kerman, his hometown.
"The last time I remember such a crowd was at Ayatollah (Ruhollah) Khomeini's funeral 30 years ago," prominent Iranian journalist Maziar Khosravi said of the turnout in the capital, referring to the founder of the Islamic republic.
The show of national unity has contrasted sharply with the downbeat mood in the country since nationwide demonstrations that were violently put down by security forces in November.
Soleimani, killed at the age of 62, had been at the center of power-broking in the region for 2 decades as chief of the elite external operations Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards.
Powerful and always presentable, yet discreet, he was also a popular figure during his lifetime, not just in death.
A survey published in 2018 by IranPoll and the University of Maryland—one of the few considered reliable by analysts—found Soleimani had a popularity rating of 83 percent, ahead of President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
ROOTS OF POPULARITY
Declared a "living martyr" by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while still alive, Soleimani was widely regarded as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State jihadist group in both Iraq and Syria.
In the eyes of many Iranians, his military and strategic prowess were instrumental in warding off the multi-ethnic disintegration of neighboring countries such as Afghanistan as well as Syria and Iraq.
In a rare tribute to his status, a mosque in Qom, the spiritual capital of Shiite Iran, hoisted the red flag symbolizing the blood of martyrs that is traditionally reserved for the Islamic holy month of Muharram.
Khosravi, the journalist, noted that huge crowds from different sectors of society had also turned out to mourn and pay tribute to Soleimani in Ahvaz, capital of the down-at-heel province of Khuzestan and a hotspot in last year's protests.
Hassan Razavi, a lawyer and University of Tehran teacher, explained the roots of the general's popularity at home.
"What people liked about him is that while some other military commanders after the Iraq-Iran war shifted their life toward politics and economy, he continued his role in the military," said Razavi.
He was seen to have played a "significant role in pushing (late Iraqi dictator) Saddam Hussein's army out of the country" during the devastating war that raged between the 2 neighbors from 1980 to 1988.
"People witnessed that he never took financial advantage of his position for his personal life," the lawyer said.
And, "he was so courageous that instead of leading the war out of war rooms far from the battlefield, he was in the middle of the battlefield on the frontline with his soldiers," Razavi said.
Whereas previously he kept out of the limelight, Soleimani had in recent years become an unlikely celebrity in Iran—replete with a huge following on Instagram.
His profile shot up as the public face of Iran's intervention in the Syrian conflict from 2013, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries—and even being featured in a music video and animated film.
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BAGHDAD — Iran attacked two bases in Iraq that house American troops with a barrage of missiles early Wednesday, Iranian official news media and US officials said, the start of what Tehran had promised would be retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian commander.
“The fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards has begun,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement on a Telegram messaging app channel.
US officials in Washington said that Iran had fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq where US troops are stationed. The Pentagon said it was assessing whether any American troops had been killed or injured in the strikes. US officials said there were no immediate indications of American casualties.
After the strikes, President Donald Trump, who has vowed a strong response to any Iranian attack on US targets, met at the White House with his top national security advisers, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss possible retaliatory options.
On Twitter, a few hours later, Trump struck an upbeat tone and promised to make a statement Wednesday morning. Some aides said they believed that Trump wanted to find a way to de-escalate the crisis.
“All is well!” he wrote. “Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far!”
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, also seemed ready to stand down, for now. “Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense,” Zarif tweeted. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”
The American killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a hero at home but a terrorist to the US government, has scaled into one of the most dangerous confrontations between the countries in the 4 decades of animosity that have followed the Islamic Revolution.
Iran’s firing of ballistic missiles from inside its borders — not relying on rockets from Iranian-backed proxies — at two of the main military bases where many of the more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq are stationed was a significant escalation of force that threatened to ignite a widening conflict throughout the Middle East.
It was also a stark message from Tehran that it has the will and the ability to strike at US targets in neighboring Iraq.
“It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting US military and coalition personnel at al-Asad and Irbil,” Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement.
Iranian news media reported the attacks hours after Soleimani’s remains were returned to his hometown in Iran for burial amid a huge outpouring of grief and rage at the United States. The funeral procession was so huge and unwieldy that more than 50 people died in a stampede, state news media reported, forcing a delay in the burial.
Iranian officials said the attacks began at 1:20 a.m. — the time Soleimani was killed Friday by an American drone at the Baghdad International Airport.
Some Iranian officials posted images of their country’s flag on Twitter, in a pointed rejoinder to Trump, who tweeted an American flag after Soleimani was killed.
Iran’s military planners had anticipated retaliatory strikes by the United States. Key military, oil and energy sites were placed on high alert, and underground missile defense systems were prepared to counterattack, said a person familiar with the planning.
Iranian officials waited for Trump to address the nation on Tuesday night, and when he did not do so, they suspected the United States might wait to respond or not respond at all, the person said.
Two people close to the Revolutionary Guards said that if the United States did not strike, Iran would also de-escalate. But if the United States did attack, then Iran was preparing for at least a limited conflict.
Reports from US intelligence agencies of an imminent attack from Iran had intensified throughout the day, and senior officials had said they were bracing for some kind of attack against US bases in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East.
Over the past two days, US military and intelligence officials had closely monitored the movements of Iran’s ballistic force units — the crown jewel of the country’s arsenal. It was initially unclear whether the movements were a defensive dispersal or the preparations for a retaliatory attack. But by midday Tuesday, top U.S. officials said it had become clear that some kind of Iranian attack was coming.
As tensions mounted, the president’s top national security advisers began gathering in the White House Situation Room about 2 p.m. — about 3 1/2 hours before the attacks. Trump joined them after a previously scheduled meeting with the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Unlike after the US drone strike that killed Soleimani last week, Democratic congressional leaders were notified immediately after the Iranian strikes.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was meeting Tuesday evening with senior Democrats about Trump’s impeachment trial when she was handed a note telling her of the Iranian attack on US forces in Iraq.
“We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence,” Pelosi tweeted. “America & world cannot afford war.”
Reactions to the strikes diverged sharply on Capitol Hill, with Democrats condemning the series of events that led to the escalation, and Republicans pressing Trump to project military strength.
Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, used Twitter to urge lawmakers to reassert Congress’ constitutional authority over matters of war and peace.
“The escalation of violence between Iran and the United States makes the constitutional responsibility of Congress to decide whether to declare war more important than ever,” Durbin tweeted.
Rep. Michael Waltz, (Republican-Florida), a former Army Green Beret who served in Afghanistan and worked in the Pentagon under President George W. Bush, said in a brief interview Tuesday evening that he would reserve judgment about the strikes until more information became available. But, Waltz said, “the president’s been very clear, as you should be in a deterrence posture: They will impose consequences and they’ll be directly on the Iranian regime.”
One of the bases that was struck Tuesday, al-Asad Air Base, has long been a hub for US military operations in western Iraq. Danish troops have also been stationed there in recent years.
In 2017, as the US-led coalition built up the base for its campaign against the Islamic State, roughly 500 US military and civilian personnel were located there. Units stationed there consisted of a shock trauma medical unit, a targeting cell, a Navy SEAL Special Operations task force and with a company of Marines that served mostly as protection for the US side of the base. The airfield serviced drones and reconnaissance aircraft.
After the physical defeat of the Islamic State’s so-called caliphate in 2019, some troops have left the base, but it still maintains a robust presence.
The other base that was struck, in Irbil in northern Iraq, has been a Special Operations hub to hundreds of American and other allied troops, logistics personnel and intelligence specialists throughout the fight against the Islamic State. The base shares its borders with the city’s airport, which transport aircraft, gunships and reconnaissance planes have used as an anchor point for operations in both northern Iraq and deep into eastern Syria.
The Iranian missile attack came on a day that began with thousands of Iranians taking to the streets for Soleimani’s funeral procession, a public mourning marred by the deadly stampede.
The head of Iran’s emergency medical services said 56 people had died and 213 were injured, broadcaster IRIB reported on its website, as millions of people flooded the streets of Kerman, to witness the procession for Soleimani.
Witnesses said on social media and on the BBC’s Persian service that the street leading to the funeral was too narrow to handle the crowd and that some side streets had been closed off for security reasons, leaving those who were caught in the crush with no place to escape.
The overcrowding and the subsequent stampede in Kerman led officials to delay Soleimani’s burial, the state news media reported. But he was buried around midnight, as Iran prepared to launch missile attacks against American forces in retaliation for his death, said Hossein Soleimani, the editor-in-chief of the main Revolutionary Guards news website.
The general’s body had been flown to Kerman after a funeral service Monday in Tehran, the capital, where there were even bigger crowds. He had requested a burial in his hometown.
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TEHRAN—Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday warned his American counterpart Donald Trump to "never threaten the Iranian nation," after he issued a US strike list of 52 targets in the Islamic republic.
"Those who refer to the number 52 should also remember the number 290. #IR655 Never threaten the Iranian nation," he tweeted, referring to 290 lives lost in July 1988 when a US warship shot down passenger plane Iran Air 655 in the Gulf.
Trump warned Saturday that Washington had lined up 52 targets in Iran if it attacked American personnel or assets in retaliation for a US drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iran's top commander Qasem Soleimani.
He said 52 represented the number of Americans held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran for more than a year starting in late 1979.
Trump said some of these sites are "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD."
Later, the president tweeted again, this time warning Iran that the US will hit Iran "harder than they have ever been hit before!"
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BAGHDAD - Pressure against the US in Iraq ramped up Sunday, as rockets hit near the American embassy and parliament demanded the ouster of thousands of US troops over the killing of a top Iranian general.
Ties have deteriorated after an American precision drone strike Friday on the Baghdad international airport that killed Iran's Major General Qasem Soleimani and top Iraqi military figure Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
A pair of rockets hit near the US embassy in Iraq's high-security Green Zone for the second night in a row on Sunday just hours after Iraq's foreign ministry summoned the American ambassador over the strike.
Earlier, caretaker prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi attended an extraordinary parliamentary session during which he slammed the US strike as a "political assassination".
He joined 168 lawmakers -- just enough for quorum in Iraq's 329-seat parliament -- to discuss the ouster of US troops.
Some 5,200 US soldiers are stationed across Iraqi bases to support local troops preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State jihadist group.
They are deployed as part of the broader international coalition, invited by the Iraqi government in 2014 to help fight IS.
"The parliament has voted to commit the Iraqi government to cancel its request to the international coalition for help to fight IS," speaker Mohammed Halbusi announced.
The cabinet would have to approve any decision but the premier indicated support for an ouster in his speech.
"We face two main choices," he told MPs: either immediately voting for foreign troops to leave or setting limits and a timeframe for withdrawal through a parliamentary process.
US-LED COALITION 'PAUSES' OPS
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reacted to the parliament's move by saying: "We'll have to take a look at what we do when the Iraqi leadership and government makes a decision".
Britain, a key member of the US-led coalition against jihadists, urged Iraq to allow soldiers to stay in the country, saying their work was "vital".
Admiral Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, said US troop presence in Iraq after the Iraqi parliamentary decision would be considered an "occupation".
Hardline parliamentarians with ties to Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, a military force close to Iran, had demanded the immediate expulsion of all foreign troops.
No Kurdish and most Sunni MPs boycotted the session as they were more supportive of an American military presence, seen as a counterweight to Iran.
Tom Warrick, a former US official and current fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Soleimani and pro-Iran factions within the Hashed had long sought the US's ouster.
"If US forces do end up withdrawing, it could grant Soleimani a post-humous victory," Warrick told AFP.
As the session got under way, the US-led coalition announced it was suspending its Iraq operations due to deadly rocket attacks on their bases.
"This has limited our capacity to conduct training with partners and to support their operations against Daesh (IS) and we have therefore paused these activities, subject to continuous review," it said.
Late Saturday, two missiles slammed into the Green Zone and another two rockets hit an airbase north of the capital housing American troops.
There had been fears of a volleys of rockets following a warning from a hardline Hashed faction for Iraqis to move away from US forces by Sunday afternoon.
Increased tensions had already prompted NATO to suspend training activities in Iraq and a US defense official told AFP American-led coalition forces would "limit" operations.
'BLATANT VIOLATION'
Iraq's foreign ministry said it summoned US ambassador Matthew Tueller and submitted complaints to the United Nations Security Council over the strikes.
"They were a blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty," the ministry said in a statement, and "contradict the agreed-upon missions of the international coalition."
The US strike on Baghdad international airport early Friday killed five Iranian Revolutionary Guards and five members of Iraq's Hashed.
After a procession that made its way across various Iraqi cities on Saturday, the remains of the Iranians, plus those of Muhandis and another Hashed member, were flown to Iran where mourners packed the streets to pay tribute to them.
DNA testing was required to separate the Iraqis' remains so they could be properly buried, the Hashed said.
As head of the Quds Force, the Guards' foreign operations arm, Soleimani oversaw Iran's wide-ranging interventions in regional power struggles.
In Iraq, protesters taking to the streets since October had blamed him for propping up a government they see as corrupt and inept.
Demonstrations still rocked the capital and south on Sunday, with many protesting against Iran and the United States.
US President Donald Trump claimed Soleimani was planning an "imminent" attack on US personnel in the region and threatened Iran -- which has promised "severe revenge" -- with more strikes.
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DUBAI - Iran will decide on Sunday about its next step to further roll back its commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying, days after the US killing of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.
President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six major powers in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran that have crippled its economy. Hostilities between the countries escalated sharply after Friday's US drone attack in Baghdad that killed Soleimani.
"Tonight, there will be a very important meeting to decide about our next nuclear step and the implementation of the deal ... considering the recent threats (by America) it should be underlined that in politics, all developments and threats are linked to each other," spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
In reaction to the US policy of "maximum pressure" since Trump pulled out of the nuclear agreement, Iran has gradually distanced itself from the deal, under which Tehran undertook to curb its nuclear activity in exchange for a lifting of many international sanctions.
Iran has warned that it will further decrease its commitments if European parties to the agreement fail to shield Tehran's economy from U.S. penalties.
In November, Iran gave Britain, France and Germany a third 60-day deadline to salvage the deal or face a further decrease of Iran's commitments to nuclear pact.
(Writing by Parisa Hafezi Editing by Frances Kerry)
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UNITED NATIONS - The United States' killing of Iran's most prominent military commander, Qassem Soleimani, is virtual to starting a war and "the response for a military action is a military action," Iran's UN ambassador said on Friday.
Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said in an interview with CNN that by "assassinating" Soleimani, the United States had entered a new stage after starting an "economic war" by imposing tough sanctions on Iran in 2018.
"So that was ... a new chapter which is tantamount to opening a war against Iran," Ravanchi said.
Ravanchi, echoing Iranian leaders, said there would be harsh revenge. "The response for a military action is a military action," he said.
Earlier on Friday, the ambassador told the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Iran reserves the right to self-defense under international law.
In a letter, Ravanchi said the killing of Soleimani "is an obvious example of State terrorism and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including, in particular... the Charter of the United Nations."
Soleimani, a 62-year-old general who headed the overseas arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was regarded as the country's second most powerful figure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The United States killed Soleimani in an overnight attack in Iraq authorized by President Donald Trump. A senior Trump administration official said Soleimani had been planning imminent attacks on US personnel in the Middle East.
The United States could seek to justify killing Soleimani under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which covers an individual or collective right to self-defense against armed attack.
Under Article 51, countries are required to "immediately report" to the 15-member Security Council any measures taken in exercising the right to self-defense. The United States used Article 51 to justify taking action in Syria against Islamic State militants in 2014.
Diplomats said no such letter had yet been received from Washington on the killing of Soleimani.
Guterres is deeply concerned by the recent rise in tensions in the Middle East, his spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement earlier on Friday.
"This is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint. The world cannot afford another war in the Gulf," Haq said.
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WASHINGTON - Iran promised vengeance after a US air strike in Baghdad on Friday killed Qassem Soleimani, Tehran's most prominent military commander and the architect of its growing influence in the Middle East.
Soleimani, a 62-year-old general who headed the overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guards, was regarded as the second most powerful figure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The overnight attack, authorized by US President Donald Trump, was a major escalation in a "shadow war" in the Middle East between Iran and the United States and American allies, principally Israel and Saudi Arabia.
A senior Trump administration official said the general had been planning imminent attacks on US personnel across the Middle East. Democratic critics said the order by the Republican president was reckless and that he had raised the risk of more violence in a dangerous region.
"Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel but we caught him in the act and terminated him," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
"We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war."
Trump said the United States was not seeking regime change in Iran, but that Tehran must end what he called its aggression in the region, including the use of proxy fighters.
A top US general cautioned that the plot by Soleimani could still happen despite his death. US officials said Washington was sending nearly 3,000 more troops to the Middle East, joining roughly 750 sent to Kuwait this week.
The attack, which also killed a top Iraqi militia commander and adviser to Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, divided Iraqi opinion.
Many condemned the attacks, seeing Soleimani as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State militant group. Others voiced approval, saying Soleimani and Muhandis had backed the use of force against unarmed anti-government protesters last year and established militias that demonstrators blame for many of Iraq's social and economic woes.
However, many Iraqis criticized Washington for killing the men on Iraqi soil and possibly plunging Iraq into another war.
Early on Saturday in Baghdad, air strikes hit a convoy carrying medics belonging to an Iran-backed militia near Taji stadium north of the city, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping of paramilitary groups said.
An Iraqi army source said 6 people were killed and 3 wounded. State TV reported that it was carried out by the United States. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington.
There had already been a sharp increase in US-Iranian hostilities last week when pro-Iranian militia attacked the US Embassy in Baghdad following a deadly US air raid on the Kataib Hezbollah militia, founded by Muhandis.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said with Friday's attack, Washington had breached Iraq's sovereignty and violated a deal for keeping US troops there.
INTELLIGENCE OPERATION
Two Iraqi security sources said the attack followed an intelligence operation in which inside sources recruited by the CIA revealed the timing of Soleimani's arrival in Baghdad and his convoy leaving the airport.
Khamenei said harsh revenge awaited the "criminals" who killed Soleimani and his death would redouble resistance against the United States and Israel. He called for 3 days of national mourning.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the attack was an act of "international terrorism" and Iran would take legal action to hold Washington to account.
US officials said Soleimani was killed in a drone strike. Iran said he died in an attack by US helicopters.
Israel put its army on high alert and US allies in Europe including Britain, France and Germany voiced concerns. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "maximum restraint."
In a letter to Guterres and the UN Security Council, Iran said it reserved the right under international law to self-defense and that Soleimani's killing "by any measure, is an obvious example of State terrorism."
Iran's top Arab foe, Saudi Arabia, urged restraint. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his US counterpart Mike Pompeo on a phone call that the killing "grossly violates international law" and would lead to serious consequences for regional peace and stability, according to a ministry statement.
The US embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens to leave Iraq immediately, and dozens of US citizens working for foreign oil companies in the southern city of Basra left. The evacuations would not affect output and exports, Iraqi officials said.
Oil prices jumped more than $3 a barrel over concern about disruption to Middle East supplies.
'STICK OF DYNAMITE'
The United States and its allies have suspended training of Iraqi forces due to the increased threat they face, the German military said in a letter seen by Reuters.
Chas Freeman, a retired US ambassador, said he could think of no other example of the United States openly killing a senior foreign government official during peacetime. "This is unprecedented," Freeman said.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, a contender among Democrats seeking to run against Trump in November, said Trump had "tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox."
After being briefed by US officials in Washington, House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democrat, questioned why Trump chose to act against Soleimani now, when previous administrations decided such a step would increase risks in the region.
"If the administration has a broader strategy, they have yet to articulate it," Schiff told reporters.
As chief of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards foreign arm, Soleimani had a main role in fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Over 2 decades he was at the forefront of projecting Iran's military influence across the Middle East and survived several assassination attempts by Western, Israeli and Arab agencies, acquiring celebrity status at home and abroad.
President Hassan Rouhani said the killing would stiffen Iran's resistance to the United States.
In the capital Tehran, hundreds of demonstrators marched toward Khamenei's compound to convey their condolences.
"I am not a pro-regime person but I liked Soleimani. He was brave and he loved Iran, I am very sorry for our loss," said housewife Mina Khosrozadeh in Tehran.
Soleimani became head of the Quds Force in 1998, after which he strengthened Iran's ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syria's government and Shi’ite militia groups in Iraq.
In Soleimani's hometown, Kerman, people wearing black gathered in front of his father's house, weeping as they listened to a recitation from the Koran.
"Heroes never die. It cannot be true. Qassem Soleimani will always be alive," said Mohammad Reza Seraj, a teacher.
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HONG KONG - Oil prices soared more than four percent Friday and equities reversed early gains following news that the US had killed a top Iranian general, fanning fresh fears of a conflict in the crude-rich region.
The head of Iran's Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, was hit in an attack on Baghdad's international airport early Friday, according to Hased, a powerful Iraqi paramilitary force linked to Tehran.
Later, Donald Trump tweeted a picture of the American flag, and the Pentagon said he had ordered Soleimani's killing.
Brent surged 4.4 percent to $69.16 and WTI jumped 4.3 percent to $63.84 as investors grow increasingly worried about a possible flare-up in the tinderbox Middle East.
"This is more than just bloodying Iran's nose," said AxiTrader's Stephen Innes. "This is an aggressive show of force and an outright provocation that could trigger another Middle East war."
The killing of Soleimani is a dramatic escalation of tensions between the US and Iran and comes after a pro-Iran mob this week laid siege to the US embassy in Iraq following deadly American air strikes on the hardline Hashed faction.
The attack on the embassy highlighted new strains in the US-Iraqi relationship, which officials from both countries have described to AFP as the "coldest" in years.
It also comes as tensions between the US and North Korea worsen, with Kim Jong Un declaring a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests had ended, with talks with the US going nowhere.
"We are waking up to a less safe world than it was only hours ago, especially if we combine this with simmering tension in the Korean peninsula," Innes added.
The drama sent investors rushing for the hills and safe-haven units rallied with the yen up 0.7 percent against the dollar and gold climbing more than one percent.
High-risk currencies retreated against the greenback, with South Korea's won down 0.6 percent, Australia's dollar down 0.4 percent and the South African rand down more than one percent.
Equities sank into the red, having been enjoying the second day of the year rallying on trade optimism.
Hong Kong fell 0.2 percent, while Shanghai shed 0.1 percent. Singapore retreated 0.2 percent, Seoul lost 0.1 percent and Taipei eased 0.3 percent. However, Sydney, Wellington, and Manila held in positive territory.
Markets had all been well up before news of the strike, thanks to ongoing optimism fuelled by the China-US trade agreement, looser central bank monetary policies and easing Brexit worries.
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