President Trump Authorized The Killing Of Soleimani Seven Months Ago If Iran's Actions Resulted In The Death Of An American

A composite image of US President Donald Trump and the Iranian military commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Leah Millis/Reuters; Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP

NBC News: Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions

The timing raises new questions about the Trump administration's stated justification for taking out the top Iranian general.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani seven months ago if Iran's increased aggression resulted in the death of an American, according to five current and former senior administration officials.

The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final signoff on any specific operation to kill Soleimani, officials said.

That decision explains why assassinating Soleimani was on the menu of options that the military presented to Trump two weeks ago for responding to an attack by Iranian proxies in Iraq, in which a U.S. contractor was killed and four U.S. service members were wounded, the officials said.

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WNU Editor: It was this rocket attack that killed a US contractor that resulted in this US retaliation .... Soleimani approved attack on Iraqi military base that killed American: Top US general (ABC News).

More News On Reports That President Trump Authorized The Killing Of Soleimani Seven Months Ago If Iran's Actions Resulted In The Death Of An American

Trump approved Soleimani's killing last June: report -- The Hill
Trump approved Soleimani killing with conditions in June: report -- Al Jazeera
Trump has apparently wanted to kill Soleimani for quite a while — since as far back as 2017 -- VOX
The Trump administration is struggling to explain why the US killed top Iranian general Soleimani — here's all the shifting explanations -- Business Insider