US Paratroopers and Airmen Head to the Middle East as Tensions Escalate

Paratroopers and airmen from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division deploy from Fort Bragg to the Middle East, Saturday, January 4, as tensions escalate, following the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. drone attack, in Baghdad.
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READ MORE: U.S. President Donald Trump is defending the U.S. airstrike that killed one of Iran’s most powerful generals, brushing aside threats from Tehran that it will exact a harsh revenge.

In his first comments since defense officials confirmed the U.S. carried out the airstrike near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq early Friday (local time), Trump blamed the Quds Force commander for the deaths of thousands of Americans, and said the strike was long overdue.

“General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more,” Trump tweeted Friday.