While Iran is repeating threats of retribution and legal actions against those involved in the killing of Qasem Soleimani, former American officials are defending the Trump administration action.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Mike Pompeo, the former CIA director, and secretary of state under Donald Trump, defended the operation to kill Soleimani, saying that it was a legal military action to save the lives of Americans.

He added that Soleimani was actively plotting against the US, and urged the current administration to keep all Americans safe against the threats from the Islamic Republic.

His remarks echoed a post by the former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who called Soleimani the world’s deadliest terrorist.

She claimed that the world is a safer place now because of Trump’s decision.

After the assassination January 2020, the incumbent US president stated that Soleimani deserved to be brought to justice for his crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents throughout the region as he supported terror and sowed chaos. Current President Joe Biden, however, called it a hugely escalatory movethat would prompt more attacks by Iran in the future.

Soleimani was killed in a United States drone attack, ordered by former president Trump, as he arrived at Baghdad airport from Syria. He was Iran’s top military and intelligence operator in the Middle East, organizing proxy forces.