Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis

Trump also ordered a targeted U.S. airstrike on January 2, 2020, which killed Iranian Major General and IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, as well as eight other people. Trump publicly threatened to attack Iranian cultural sites if Iran retaliated; such an attack by the U.S. would violate international law.