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Soleimani’s Deputy Esmail Ghaani Named Iran’s Quds Force Chief
The announcement was made after Soleimani was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq.
03 Jan 2020, 05:49 PM IST 
A photo released by the Iraqi Prime Minister Press Office which shows a burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, early on Friday. (Source: AP/PTI)
(Bloomberg) -- Qassem Soleimani’s deputy Esmail Ghaani has been named commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
The announcement was made after Soleimani was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, in a major escalation of tensions between Tehran and Washington. Iran has vowed a swift and severe retaliation in response to Soleimani’s death, which officials have described as an act of state-sponsored terrorism.
To contact the reporter on this story: Yasna Haghdoost in Beirut at yhaghdoost@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net
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