The United States Government has asked all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately following the killing of the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani.

KanyiDaily had reported earlier that General Soleimani was killed at Baghdad’s international airport in Iraq.

He was killed alongside Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah, also called Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).

The U.S confirmed that President Trump ordered the airstrike that killed the powerful Iranian general because he was planning attacks against US diplomats and other targets.

Iran has condemned the attack and vowed to retaliate. The Iraqi government has also condemned the attack. Both the U.S. and Iran have a lot of influence in Iraq.

Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei said in a Friday morning tweet that General Soleimani was a martyr, mourning his death in the hands of Americans as barbaric.

Mr Khamenei on state television also vowed that “a harsh retaliation is waiting” and announced three-day mourning across Iran.

Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami was also quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying Iran will take a crushing revenge for the killing which Iran described as an assassination.

“A crushing revenge will be taken for Soleimani’s unjust assassination … We will take revenge from all those involved and responsible for his assassination,” Mr Hatami said.