MOSES LAKE — Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, Friday applauded the Trump administration’s assassination of Iran’s top general, who the Pentagon has said was actively developing plans to kill Americans abroad.

“Qasem Soleimani was an enemy of the United States, and his death signifies American strength against his threats, attacks, and acts of global terrorism,” Newhouse said in a statement.

“President Trump acted decisively to defend America,” Newhouse continued. “I am grateful to the men and women of the U.S. military and intelligence community who helped successfully carry out this mission to protect our country and our allies. I will be carefully monitoring the situation as it plays out.”

Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s paramilitary Quds Force and much of Iran’s foreign policy, widely considered the second-most powerful leader in the country, was killed in a U.S. airstrike at the Baghdad International Airport Thursday.

Under Soleimani’s direction, Iran had over decades developed proxy and allied militias across the Middle East, many of whom are recognized by the U.S. as terror organizations, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine.

The Pentagon confirmed the death of Soleimani in a statement Thursday.

“General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” the Pentagon said in its statement. “General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.”

In response to Soleimani killing, Congressional Democrats have questioned whether Trump risked further escalating tensions between the two hostile nations. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, questioned whether the administration had proper authorization to conduct the strike and criticized its decision not to consult Congress.

“American leaders’ highest priority is to protect American lives and interests,” Pelosi said in a statement. “But we cannot put the lives of American servicemembers, diplomats and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions. Tonight’s airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence.”

Tensions in the region have escalated since the air strike, with Iran vowing to retaliate for the killing of the top general. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement that “severe revenge” awaited the United States for the killing of Soleimani, whom he called a martyr.

Iraq’s parliament, calling the U.S. airstrike in the Iraqi capital a breach of the nation’s sovereignty, voted Sunday in favor of a non-binding resolution urging the government to expel American troops.

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, was also killed in Thursday’s strike. Muhandis led an umbrella group comprised of mostly Iranian-backed Shiite militias formed in 2014 to defend the country from the Islamic State insurgency.

Top U.S. officials urged Iraq’s government to reconsider Sunday. In a statement to reporters from aboard Air Force One Sunday, Trump took a harder line, threatening to sanction Iraq if it ordered U.S. troops to leave.

Though it is widely believed that Iran will retaliate to the killing of Soleimani, whether via the network of allied militias throughout the region, attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, or direct attacks on American military positions.

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that America would respond to any such retaliation from Iran, indicating the U.S. had already designated 52 sites, including some important to “Iranian culture,” that it could strike. Attacks on cultural heritage sites are considered war crimes under international law, and Secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Sunday walked back from Trump’s tweet, saying the nation would act within the law.

But in comments to reporters from aboard Air Force One, Trump doubled down on his comments.

“They’re allowed to torture and maim our people,” Trump said. “They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way.”

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.