Soleimani and Muhandis were key figures in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They were assassinated in a drone attack on January 3, 2020, ordered by former US President Donald Trump

Muqtada al-Sadr, whose party emerged as the largest party in last year’s parliamentary elections in Iraq, initially condemned the attack but later issued a statement asking for investigation into Iranian claims of Israeli bases in the country

Mobilizations were held across Iran on Monday on the second anniversary of the assassination of major general Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a drone attack sanctioned by then US president Donald Trump

The change in the nature of the US mission in Iraq first announced in July this year has been rejected by the Iraqi militias who are demanding a complete withdrawal of all foreign troops from the country

The opposition in Iraq has said the decision does not go far enough as the parliament had passed a resolution calling for the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from the country

There is increasing pressure on the Iraqi government to act on the presence of foreign troops in the country, particularly since the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani by the US last year

The airstrike on Syria was the second since Joe Biden assumed office. According to Syrian Arab News Agency, one child and three adults were killed in the attack

After Joe Biden assumed office as the US president, close to 20 such attacks have taken place against US interests and facilities in Iraq as opposition to the presence of foreign troops continues to grow

US troops deployed in oil-rich Iraq following the NATO-led invasion in 2003 were withdrawn in 2011 but were re-deployed in 2014 following the rise of ISIS. Their presence has caused significant popular unrest in the country 

Deputy head of the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi militia, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was killed in a drone strike by the US inside Iraq last year, along with top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Iran has also issued a similar warrant against Trump and 47 other Americans 

Thousands of protesters gathered at Tahrir square in Baghdad after marching to the highway leading to the airport where Soleimani and Muhandis were killed last year. They demanded the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

After increasing its military presence in the region in the last few weeks the US flew two of its B-52 bombers above the Persian Gulf on Tuesday