2020 presidential candidates react to killing of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani

Savannah Behrmann | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Are we really ready for a World War III? Fears are mounting around the world following the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani - but is World War 3 about to happen?

WASHINGTON – As news that President Donald Trump ordered the killing of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani spread, the Democratic candidates vying to defeat him in 2020 were quick to react.

The Defense Department said it conducted the attack at Trump's direction as a "defensive action" against Soleimani, who it said was planning further attacks on American diplomats and service members.

Soleimani is an extremely influential figure inside Iran, heading Iran's elite Quds Force, part of the country's hard-line paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Former vice president Joe Biden said in a statement that "No American will mourn Qassem Soleimani’s passing. He deserved to be brought to justice for his crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents throughout the region. He supported terror and sowed chaos. None of that negates the fact that this is a hugely escalatory move in an already dangerous region."

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He continued that he believes Trump "just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond."

"I’m not privy to the intelligence and much remains unknown, but Iran will surely respond. We could be on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East," Biden concluded.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren stated that Soleimani was a "murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans" but "reckless move escalates the situation with Iran."

"Our priority must be to avoid another costly war."

Soleimani was a murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans. But this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict. Our priority must be to avoid another costly war. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 3, 2020

Campaigning in Iowa today, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders quipped that the "assassination" of Soleimani "is a dangerous escalation that brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East."

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He continued with a tweet accompanied by a video, "I was right about Vietnam. I was right about Iraq. I will do everything in my power to prevent a war with Iran. I apologize to no one."

I was right about Vietnam.



I was right about Iraq.



I will do everything in my power to prevent a war with Iran.



I apologize to no one. pic.twitter.com/Lna3oBZMKB — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 3, 2020

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg released a statement, saying that "Before engaging in military action that could destabilize an entire region, we must take a strategic, deliberate approach that includes consultation with Congress, our allies, and stakeholders in the Middle East."

"There is no question that Qassim Suleimani was a threat to that safety and security, and that he masterminded threats and attacks on Americans and our allies, leading to hundreds of deaths. But there are serious questions about how this decision was made and whether we are prepared for the consequences," he stated.

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New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on MSNBC acknowledged Soleimani was "a bad person" but continued that "we have to look at the larger, strategic situation in that area."

"We have a president who has had, really, a failure in his Iranian policy, who's had no larger, strategic plan and has made that region less stable and less safe," he continued.

We have a president who has no strategic plan when it comes to Iran and has only made that region less stable and less safe. More thoughts: pic.twitter.com/Cn25X4kOhQ — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 3, 2020

Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota released a statement, saying that "the timing, manner, and potential consequences of the Administration's actions raise serious questions and concerns about an escalating conflict."

"The Administration needs to fully consult with Congress on its decision-making, response plans, and strategy for preventing a wider conflict," she concluded.

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Author Marianne Williamson stated that "The killing of Soleimani is extremely serious, and will almost certainly cause a significant reaction from Iran. It’s not that Soleimani was a good man; he was not. But that’s not what this is about. It’s about the wise versus unwise, responsible versus irresponsible use of military power."

"Now the president has called for deploying 3,000 more troops to the Middle East. Make no mistake about it, this is an extremely dangerous moment for our country and for our world," she continued. "Every American must realize that war with Iran would be catastrophic."

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, released a video, declaring that "Trump's actions last night in bombing the Baghdad airport with the targeted killing of Iran's top military general was an act of war."

We need to get out of Iraq and Syria now. That is the only way that we're going to prevent ourselves from being dragged into this quagmire, deeper and deeper into a war with Iran. #WWIII #TrumpsWar #StandWithTulsi pic.twitter.com/nb8mLfiywq — Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) January 3, 2020

She additionally appeared on Fox News Friday morning and quipped that "there is no question about how evil this guy is. No one should shed a single tear for his death. But that's not really the question here. The real question is, what are we trying to accomplish here in this country and where will this decision that this president made to escalate these tensions and this crisis and commit this act of war without congressional authorization?"

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a statement that said, "Without more information, we can only hope that the president has carefully thought through the national security implications of this attack for our country and the grave risks involved. But given his track record and his history of making reckless and impulsive decisions that undermine U.S. strategic objections and weaken our allies -- most recently in Syria -- there is every reason to be deeply concerned."

Businessman Andrew Yang tweeted that "War with Iran is the last thing we need and is not the will of the American people. We should be acting to deescalate tensions and protect our people in the region."

"I have signed a pledge to end the Forever Wars. We have been in a constant state of armed conflict for 19 years at a disastrous cost to both our people and our resources. This must end," he continued.

War with Iran is the last thing we need and is not the will of the American people. We should be acting to deescalate tensions and protect our people in the region. — Andrew Yang🧢 (@AndrewYang) January 3, 2020

Deval Patrick, former Massachusetts governor, acknowledged that Soleimani was "a menace to the world and to peace-loving people everywhere" but continued that "a difficult situation is becoming more dangerous because of a lack of leadership."

"Americans deserve a leader who they can trust in moments like these. The President owes the American people and the world an explanation of his strategy and what the next steps will be going forward," he concluded.

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Billionaire Tom Steyer tweeted a thread that read, "Soleimani was a terrorist responsible for killing Americans. But this wasn't authorized by Congress and is an escalation that risks a wider war with Iran. Mr. Trump risks making a bad situation worse with reckless action."

"It is essential that we protect American service members and citizens throughout the region while working with our allies to prevent further escalation that could lead to a devastating war that Americans do not want," he concluded.

Rep. John Delaney, D- Md., tweeted that "While Soleimani was directly responsible for the deaths of countless lives, including many Americans, and was a significant danger to our troops and a destabilizing force in the region and deserved to be brought to justice for his actions against our troops, the Administration’s failure to brief Congressional leadership on this action is troubling and raises the risk of reckless actions that could lead to a dangerous escalation."

What is important at this moment in time is full coordination between the Administration and Congress to ensure the safety of all Americans in Iraq and throughout the region. That has to be our number one priority. (1/3)https://t.co/5c1pqAW8I4 — John Delaney (@JohnDelaney) January 3, 2020

Sen. Michael Bennet tweeted, "Donald Trump is the weakest foreign policy president in my lifetime. This was a terribly reckless and provocative act. It’s the latest in a long string of non-strategic choices that he has made in the Middle East that have weakened our position and strengthened Iran's."

Contributing: Deirdre Shesgreen, Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY