Former US president Donald Trump claimed at a recent campaign rally in Houston, Texas that former prime minister Imran Khan was elated at the assassination of Qassem Soleimani. The claim was made in an address to a crowd that included many PTI supporters, who are leaning toward Mr. Trump due to perceived hostility from the Biden administration towards Mr. Khan.
Mr. Soleimani, a significant figure in Iran, was assassinated on January 3, 2020 by a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport.
Trump recounted a conversation with Mr. Khan, claiming that the former prime minister described the assassination as “the biggest event that ever happened to me” and went so far as to walk in solitude to his home for a week following the news. However, reports have pointed out discrepancies in Trump’s claims, questioning the accuracy of the alleged conversation between the two leaders.
There is no record of a telephonic conversation between Mr. Khan and Mr. Trump over Mr. Soleimani’s assassination, and Mr. Khan addressed a rally in Mianwali the day after the incident without mentioning it in his speech. Additionally, the assertion that Mr. Khan walked from his office to his home appears to be untrue.
The veracity of Mr. Trump’s claim is disputed, and his comments have been met with skepticism by some commentators.