SCOOP: On the same day U.S. forces killed Solemiani, they launched another secret kill operation to take out a senior Iranian official in Yemen, but did not succeed. 1/ My latest with @missy_ryan and @jdawsey1 washingtonpost.com/world/national…
@missy_ryan @jdawsey1 The unsuccessful operation may indicate that the killing of Soleimani was part of a broader operation than previously explained, raising questions about whether the mission was designed to cripple the leadership of the IRGC or solely to prevent an imminent attack 2/
@missy_ryan @jdawsey1 The operation targeted Abdul Reza Shahlai, a financier and key commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force who has been active in Yemen. The State Department recently put out a reward for $15 million for information about him and his finance network 3/
@missy_ryan @jdawsey1 Officials at the Pentagon and in Florida were monitoring both strikes and had discussed announcing them together, had they gone well, officials said. “If we had killed him, we’d be bragging about it that same night,” a senior U.S. official said 4/
@missy_ryan @jdawsey1 “This suggests a mission with a longer planning horizon and a larger objective," said @MaloneySuzanne
