February 07 2020
The American military unsuccessfully tried to kill a senior Iranian Pasdar officer in Yemen the same day a drone strike killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleymani, according to American officials.
The disclosure of a second mission indicated that the Trump Administration had plans for a broader campaign than was previously known, intended to cripple Iran’s ability to carry out proxy wars in other countries. After Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes on Iraqi bases that host American troops, both Washington and Tehran appear to have stepped back from escalating the conflict further, at least for now.
The unsuccessful airstrike in Yemen was aimed at Abdul-Reza Shahlai, an official with Iran’s Qods Force. Shahlai was known as a main organizer of financing for Shiite militias in the region.
He first became known in the United States when it emerged that he was in charge of directing Manssor Arbabsiar in his ill-fated 2011 scheme to recruit a Mexican drug cartel to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington, DC.
President Trump approved the strike against Shahlai in the same period that he authorized the strike against General Soleymani, although it was unclear if the American attack in Yemen occurred at precisely the same time.
Several weeks ago, the United States offered a $15 million reward for information about Shahlai.
Shahlai was based in Yemen, where Iran is supporting the Houthi rebels.
