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

Date: 2020

## The fact

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.

## Evidence and sources

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

## Significance

## What is established and what is not

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.

What would change the picture: a contradictory original with a different date or name, a later repeal, a court that vacated the instrument, or a measured series that can be argued, with lag and alternatives, as a consequence of this instrument rather than of later institutions.

The date is the date of this instrument, not a licence to back-date every later harm or benefit.

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. Iran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing on 2020-01-08 is not a licence to treat every later Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran communique as this same act. If a later repeal, stay, or successor instrument exists, it needs its own date and its own row. This dossier refuses to average Iran fires missiles at Ain al-Asad and Erbil after Soleimani’s killing into a personality. 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.

## People

- Ali Khamenei: https://factrail.ai/people/ali-khamenei

## Drivers

- Energy Security: https://factrail.ai/drivers/energy-security
- Humanitarian Access: https://factrail.ai/drivers/humanitarian-access

## Sources

- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-iran-idUSKBN1Z70N1
- https://english.khamenei.ir/

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

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