Security | 07:10 – 01/01/2020
Iran in the first official response to the killing of Qassem Soleimani: We will exact retaliation against America
https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=79985
2 minutes ago
SULAIMANI — A former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaei, on Friday vowed “vigorous revenge against America” for the killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force.
“Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Suleimani joined his martyred brothers, but we will take vigorous revenge on America,” Rezaei, who is now the secretary of a powerful state body, said in a post on Twitter.
(NRT Digital Media/Reuters)
Brent crude futures LCOc1 jumped nearly $3 to hit a high of $69.16 a barrel, the highest since Sept. 17. The front-month Brent March contract was at $68.25 a barrel, up $2.00, or 3%, by 0258 GMT.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 rose $1.76, or 2.9%, to $62.94 a barrel. Earlier, it touched $63.84 a barrel, highest since May 1.
“The supply side risks remain elevated in the Middle East and we could see tensions continue to elevate between the U.S. and Iran-backed militia in Iraq,” said Edward Moya, analyst at brokerage OANDA, in an e-mail to Reuters.
An air strike at the Baghdad International Airport early on Friday killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi militia spokesman told Reuters.
The Pentagon later confirmed it was a U.S. air strike that killed Soleimani.
Oil prices were also lifted by China’s central bank saying on Wednesday it was cutting the amount of cash that banks must hold in reserve, releasing around 800 billion yuan ($115 billion) in funds to shore up the slowing Chinese economy.
This came shortly after data showed China’s production continued to grow at a solid pace and business confidence shot up.
“Oil prices still have room for further upside as many analysts are still having to upgrade their demand forecasts to include a rather calm period on the trade front,” Moya said, referring to the warming trade relation between China and the United States.
“President Trump is likely to take a break on being ‘tariff man’ until we get beyond the presidential election in November.”
Reporting by Seng Li Peng and Florence Tan; Editing by Tom Hogue
Says Soleimani was developing plans to attack US diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region
, al-Muhandis arrived to the airport in a convoy to receive Soleimani whose plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria. The airstrike occurred as soon as he descended from the plane to be greeted by al-Muhandis and his companions, killing them all.
By Seng Li Peng
SINGAPORE, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Oil prices jumped more than $1 on Friday after a U.S. air strike killed key Iranian and Iraqi military personnel, raising concerns that escalating Middle East tensions may disrupt oil supplies.
Brent crude futures were at $67.48 a barrel, up $1.23, or 1.86%, by 0202 GMT, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1.03, or 1.68%, to $62.21 a barrel.
“The supply side risks remain elevated in the Middle East and we could see tensions continue to elevate between the U.S. and Iran-backed militia in Iraq,” Edward Moya, analyst at brokerage OANDA, spoke to Reuters via email.
An air strike at the Baghdad International Airport early on Friday killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an Iraqi militia spokesman told Reuters.
(Reporting by Seng Li Peng and Florence Tan; Editing by Tom Hogue)
approved the U.S. drone strike this morning that killed Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and two senior Iraqi militia officials, per Pentagon sources.
Basnews English 03/01/2020 – 05:25 Published in Iraq
ERBIL — Commander of Badr Brigade, Hadi al-Ameri, and Commander of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais Khazaali, were arrested in Baghdad’s Jadiriyah District, local reports claimed early hours on Friday.
The two top commander, who worked under the umbrella of pro-Iran Hashd al-Shaabi, were reportedly arrested by US Marines, al-Hurra reported.
No official source has yet confirmed the arrest of Ameri and Khazaali.
It comes less than an hour after attacks on a vehicle convoy at Baghdad International Airport killed multiple militiamen and commanders, including Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Hashd al-Shaabi.
A US official previously confirmed that the US had hit two targets in Baghdad linked to Iran.
Hashd al-Shaabi and Iraq’s state TV confirmed the death of Soleimani and Muhandis.
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