Iran: US killing of General Qasem Soleimani was a miscalculation

Munich: The US killing of a top Iranian general was a miscalculation that has had the effect of bolstering support in Iraq for the removal of American troops, a longtime goal of Tehran, Iran's foreign minister said Friday.

The US killed General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike on 3 January as the commander of Iran's expeditionary Quds Force was leaving Baghdad's airport, saying he was planning attacks on Americans.

Speaking to a group of reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said "the US miscalculated," noting that since the killing, thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets to protest against the presence of foreign troops in the country.