Soleimani allowed to roam region without consequence before drone strike

Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani’s ability to travel as he pleased in much of the Middle East likely contributed to his death.

Soleimani, the Iranian general responsible for the death of hundreds of American service members, was killed by a drone strike on Thursday while driving between the city Baghdad and the airport. While some could question why Soleimani felt confident enough to travel days after helping coordinate an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, it wasn’t unusual for him to travel at will, according to the New York Times.