Donald Trump: Qassem Soleimani contributed to terrorist plots in Delhi

US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani was responsible for contributing terror plots in New Delhi. The US president also defended the killing of Soleimani in a US strike, President Trump said 'reign of terror is over' and the Iranian commander had contributed to 'terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London.'

Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, President Trump said, "The recent attacks on US targets in Iraq, including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly, as well as a violent assault on our embassy in Baghdad, were carried out at the direction of Soleimani."

"Soleimani had killed innocent people for his sick passion, contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London. Today we remember and honor the victims of Soleimani's many atrocities and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over, he added.

"What the US did should have been done long ago," the US president told to reporters.

"Many lives would have been saved. Just recently Soleimani led the brutal repression of protesters in Iran, where more than 1,000 innocent civilians were tortured and killed by their own government," he added.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has approved the resumption of a military training program for Pakistani security personnel at the American institutions. Trump has authorized the IMET for Pakistan, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Alice G Wells, tweeted on Friday.

The top Iranian commander Soleimani was killed in the US drone strike outside the Baghdad airport on January 2, along with the leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia.

(With PTI Inputs)

Also Read: Qasem Soleimani death: US to resume military training for Pak, security assistance remains on hold