On January 3, a year after the assassination of Iranian General Qasim Solaimani, the United States killed Major General Solaimani, the head of the Quds Force, an elite branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in a drone strike in Baghdad. "Washington is ready to retaliate if Iran takes retaliatory action before the anniversary of its death," said U.S. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie. This announcement has caused extreme excitement around the world. Because, with that January 3 in front of us, Iran has very little time.
We are ready to defend ourselves and our friends and partners in the region," McKenzie, chief of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters Sunday. We are ready to take necessary action if necessary.
General Mackenzie visited the area a few weeks before Solomon's first death anniversary. "My assessment is that we are in a very good position and we will be ready to take Iranian or any other action," McKenzie told reporters in a telephone interview from a secret location.
There he met with US General Paul Calvert, head of the anti-jihad coalition. He also met with Iraqi Army Chief of Staff General Abdul Amir Yarallah. McKenzie said he had also met with U.S. troops stationed at the al-Tanf base in Syria near the Jordanian-Iraqi border. “I talk to the generals every day and I think we’re ready,” he said.
The goal is to reduce the number of troops in the two countries to two and a half thousand by January 15. However, the Pentagon is on high alert in Iraq to prevent any attack by Iran, despite troop reductions. US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been patrolling the Gulf since last November. Recently, two US B-22 bombers demonstrated the strength of Iran and its allies through Iranian airspace training.
