Iran Officer Who Led Trump Assassination Attempt is Dead, Hegseth Says
Pete Hegseth has confirmed that an Iranian officer who once led an assassination attempt on Donald Trump is officially dead, framing the killing as a personal and political victory for the president. The Defence Secretary even went so far as to claim that the US leader had 'got him twice' after an American submarine sank an aptly named Iranian warship bearing the officer's moniker.Hegseth Says Trump Managed To Defeat Would‑Be Assassin 'Twice'On Wednesday 4 March, Hegseth addressed reporters at the Pentagon and shared an update on the so‑called 'Operation Epic Fury', where he confirmed that a US submarine had managed to sink an Iranian vessel in the Indian Sea.'An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,' Hegseth said. 'Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.'The warship, which has since been identified as the IRIS Dena, went down with 180 people aboard. However, there are 32 survivors, who were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy.The IRIS Dena also goes by the nickname the Soleimani, after Qasem Soleimani, the senior general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who was once alleged to have planned attacks on US officials including Trump. Soleimani was killed by an American drone strike ordered by Trump on 3 January 2020.'The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective,' Hegseth said.'In fact, last night we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani. Looks like POTUS got him twice,' he added. 'Their navy, not a factor. Pick your adjective. It is no more.'The IRIS Dena, or the Soleimani, had been active in the region following its participation in a large multinational naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy in February. According to the US Indo‑Pacific Command, the drills brought together forces from 74 countries, including the United States, highlighting broad international cooperation in maritime security and regional stability operations.
Who Is Qasem Soleimani?Qasem Soleimani was an Iranian military officer who was primarily responsible for extraterritorial and clandestine military operations within the IRGC. Although he was considered the second most powerful person in Iran, behind the country's Supreme Leader, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Soleimani was also viewed as a threat for attempted attacks on Americans. He was later designated as a terrorist by the United States and assassinated during a targeted drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in 2020.Meanwhile, the sinking of Soleimani's namesake warship is believed to be only the beginning of several more attacks. Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was also at the Pentagon, pointed out that the US is determined to take down its detractors.'I want to remind everybody that this is an incredible demonstration of America's global reach,' Caine said. 'To hunt, find and kill an out-of-area deployer is something that only the United States can do at this type of scale.'The death toll in the war is continuing to rise after the attack on the Iranian warship. The casualties in Iran have risen to 1,045 since Saturday, while counterattacks have killed at least six US service members.
