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Iran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing

On 8 January 2020 Iran fired ballistic missiles at the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq and Erbil in a stated revenge for the US killing of Qasem Soleimani. In the causal graph this event weakens Energy Security, a driver that strengthens Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population) — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

On 8 January 2020 Iran fired ballistic missiles at the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq and Erbil in a stated revenge for the US killing of Qasem Soleimani. Khamenei was CinC. PS752 the same hours is a neighbouring civilian catastrophe.

Context

Trump ordered Soleimani’s 3 January killing. The IRGC fired. Neighbouring PS752 is the same night. He did not sit in the launcher.

PS752 is neighbouring the same date. 2024 Israel strikes are a later direct-war file.

The Supreme Leader of Iran is commander-in-chief and the highest constitutional authority. He does not write a US presidential strike order, an IAEA Board resolution, or a Hamas military plan. Presidents, the IRGC, and the Guardian Council implement and share specific files.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Ali Khamenei

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.7 · verified

    He was CinC and publicly owned revenge. The IRGC fired. The US had killed Soleimani.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Reuters — Iran attacks US forces in Iraq with missilesReuters · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Leader’s office — 2009 election and Friday-prayer line backing the resultOffice of the Supreme Leader of Iran · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran carries the official instrument or communique. Reuters records the same dated act independently.

Established: 8 January 2020 Iranian missile strikes on Ain al-Asad and Erbil, independently reported.

Not established: a unique later regional-war coefficient from that night as a completed 2026 prequel count, or that PS752 was this launch order.

The IRGC fired. The US had killed Soleimani.. A later repeal, court stay, or successor order would be a different Fact with a different date. That pair identifies Iran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing, not a later speech about Iran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing.

Co-authors and later implementers named in Context remain on the file. If a later repeal, stay, or successor instrument exists, it needs its own date and its own row. The contribution described on this Person row is limited to He was CinC and publicly owned revenge. The IRGC fired. The US had killed Soleimani. That limit is the alternative to treating office-holding as authorship of every later series.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorAli Khamenei
  2. contributed toFactIran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing
  3. weakensDrivers (2)Energy Security
  4. strengthensIndicatorPoverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population)

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Iran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/ir-ain-asad-2020

https://factrail.ai/facts/ir-ain-asad-2020

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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