BAGHDAD, July 12 — The assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani remains one of the most consequential American military actions of the early 2020s, its shockwaves still reshaping the Middle East more than six years later. On January 3, 2020, a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone strike near Baghdad International Airport killed Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The strike was ordered by then-President Donald Trump, and the U.S. Department of Defense stated it was intended to deter future Iranian attack plans.
Soleimani was no ordinary military commander. He was a key figure in Iran’s military and intelligence operations across the Middle East, directing proxy forces and shaping Tehran’s influence from Iraq to Yemen.
His death sent a clear message of American resolve, but it also ignited a cycle of retaliation that is still being felt today.
Immediate Aftermath and Iranian Retaliation
Iran’s response was swift and multifaceted. On January 8, 2020, just five days after the strike, Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. The attack resulted in no U.S. combat fatalities, but over 100 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries — a stark reminder that even without visible wounds, the cost of conflict can be profound.
That same day, in a tragic error, Iran accidentally shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, killing all 176 people aboard. The dual strikes — one military, one civilian — underscored the volatility of the moment.
For the families of those 176 victims, the downing of Flight 752 remains an open wound. Many were Iranian-Canadians returning home, students and academics whose lives were cut short by a missile system that should never have been active during a period of heightened alert. The Iranian government initially denied responsibility before admitting to the mistake, a pattern that has done little to build trust.
A Central Grievance for Iranian Hardliners
The assassination of Soleimani has become a central grievance for Iranian hardliners, who view it as an act of war that demands vengeance. The Tehran Times, a state-aligned outlet, has explicitly framed subsequent actions — including a 2025 list of targets — as revenge for Soleimani’s death. This narrative keeps the memory of the general alive as a rallying point for those who seek to project Iranian power and resist American influence.
For the families of American service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries in the missile strikes, the human side of this story is not abstract. It is the headaches, memory lapses, and invisible scars that follow them home.
Medical professionals have noted that such injuries can take years to fully manifest, meaning the full toll may not yet be known. What this means for patients is a long road of rehabilitation and, for some, a lifetime of care.
What to Watch Next
As of July 2026, the region remains on edge. The current U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, continues to face the consequences of that 2020 decision. Iran’s hardliners have not forgotten Soleimani, and the 2025 list of targets reported by the Tehran Times suggests that the threat of further retaliation is real.
For now, the families of those affected — whether American troops, Ukrainian passengers, or Iranian civilians — are left to navigate a landscape shaped by a single drone strike that changed everything.
