The United States has announced it’s sending 3,000 additional troops to the Middle East after Iran vowed to avenge the killing of its top general, Qasem Soleimani.

Soleimani, the leader of the IRGC elite Quds Force, was killed by a drone strike near Baghdad airport.

In the West, he was considered a ruthless killer causing hundreds of deaths. In Iran, he’s a national hero, now a martyr.

CGTN’s White House correspondent Nathan King reports.

Follow Nathan King on Twitter@nathanking

To discuss all of this:

• Barbara Slavin is director of the Future of Iran Initiative, Atlantic Council.
• Abbas Kadhim is director, Iraq Initiative & Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
• Michael Johns is the co-founder of the US National Tea Party movement.
• Kaveh Afrasiabi is an author and Iranian affairs analyst.

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For more:

By killing Soleimani, is Trump trying to deflect attention from the impeachment process? https://t.co/ndjzVVQeP5

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) January 3, 2020

Who was Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s powerful military leader? https://t.co/dSeY8PSzbr

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 3, 2020

‘He was a key figure, one hundred per cent they were targeting him.'

Here's how Iranians and Iraqis reacted to the US assassination of General Qassem #Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force.

Read all the latest here: https://t.co/uxxzkAWs83 pic.twitter.com/e26ZZFxaj3

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 3, 2020