The United States killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top general and head of the Quds Force. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, it killed General Soleimani because he was actively planning to attack American diplomats and service members in the Middle East. The airstrike was conducted by an armed drone that struck Soleimani’s vehicle on an access road near the Baghdad International Airport. The attack also killed six others, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias in Iraq.