Qasem Soleimani died in a u.s. air strike in Baghdad on 3 January. President Trump accused the late Iranian general Soleimani of being instrumental in killing millions, probably wildly exaggerated. A leader of the quds, an international undercover operational group, the quds are active in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and the Gaza strip.
The purpose, according to documentation is believed to be to counteract western influence. They are thought by some to have been instrumental in backing indigenous rights in cases of exploitation.
Additional troops have been deployed to Iraq to counteract threats from the Iranian government.