US should drop any intentions of going at war with Iran - Ilhan Omar

WASHINGTON, USA - The United States should drop any intentions of going at war with Iran, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has warned, adding that Congress should stop Trump from starting a catastrophic war with Iran.

An airstrike instigated by the United States killed General Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, causing outrage in Tehran.

General Soleimani was an insider of Tehran administration which has been at loggerheads with the US for a couple of years now.

Ilhan said, "We are outraged the president would assassinate a foreign official, possibly setting off another war without Congressional authorization."

The Somalia-born refugee has been a consistent critic of US President Donald Trump. She was elected in 2018 to represent Minnesota 5th District.

Congress should prevent the war

Noting that the war with Iran would be dangerous, IIhan added, "We need every voice to rise up and demand that Congress stop Trump from starting a catastrophic war with Iran."

For months now, Omar has questioned Trump's foreign policy, besides poking holes on retrogressive laws targeting immigrants in the US.

Thousands of mourners accused the US of destabilizing Iraq's relationship with Middle East neighbors during Gen Soleimani's burial on Saturday.

Ilhan said that "They’re going to accuse anyone who cautions against the war of “siding with our enemies” or “supporting terrorists.”

According to the legislature "This is the exact rhetoric that got us into the War in Iraq. Don’t fall for it."

Trump defends killing of Soleimani

In a televised speech on Friday night, President Trump termed killing of Soleimani as a "victory" in the war against terrorism.

Soleimani, Trump claimed, had planned dangerous attacks against US nationals and diplomats across the Middle East in the coming days.

Trump said "this was long overdue. He should have died a long time ago. We are not starting a war with Iran, we have just ended it".

General Soleimani, Trump added, was responsible for the death of hundreds of US servicemen and Iran nationals who have been calling for regime change.

Iran warns of retaliatory attacks

Iran issued a stern warning to the US on Friday moments after the death of the army commander, promising "crushing revenge" against Washington.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei paid tribute to him as a "martyr" and promised to exact "harsh revenge".

He announced three days of national mourning in honor of Soleimani, who was widely believed to be the second-most powerful figure in Iran.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif condemned the killing as an "act of state terrorism" in a statement.

"The pure blood of Qassem Soleimani will surely strengthen the tree of resistance, unite the Iranian people, and make US policies in the region less effective by the day," he said.

Democrats back Omar's sentiments

The US Democrats seemed to back Ilhan Omar's sentiments, warning that killing of Gen Soleimani could be catastrophic to US nationals in the Middle East.

“President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox,” said former Vice President Joe Biden.

His campaign released a 30-second online ad that portrayed Biden as “tested and trusted around the world” against Trump’s “erratic, unstable” presidency.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, also a leading Democratic Party ticket contender for 2020 polls, predicted a bloody war in the Middle East following the death of Soleimani.

“We’re on the brink of yet another war in the Middle East,” said liberal U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“We’re not here by accident. We’re here because a reckless president, his allies and his administration have spent years pushing us here.”

Ironically, Trump had accused Barack Obama in 2011 of plotting to start a war with Iran as a "strategy to revive his dwindling fortunes in politics"

Obama had signed an agreement with Tehran on nuclear weapons management but it has since been quashed by the Trump administration.