The operation was carried out using an MQ-9 Reaper drone, a remotely piloted aircraft manufactured by General Atomics. The MQ-9 Reaper is a versatile drone capable of conducting surveillance and precision strikes. It has been in use by the U.S. military since it replaced the MQ-1 Predator in July 2017. Soleimani was traveling to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi when the drone struck his convoy, killing him and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-backed militia in Iraq.
The Trump administration justified the strike as a defensive measure to protect U.S. personnel and deter imminent threats . Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Soleimani was planning attacks on American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. However, the legality of the strike under international law has been a subject of debate. Some legal scholars argue that the strike violated international norms, while others contend that it was a lawful act of self-defense.
