Melrose Air Force Range, New Mexico. (January 16, 2025): On January 3, 2020, President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani as he and other Iran-backed leaders were leaving the Baghdad airport.  President Trump declared him "directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of millions of people". The strike underscored America’s promise to terrorists everywhere, no one escapes the Reaper.

In this photo by Airman 1st Class Gracelyn Hess, an MQ-9 Reaper flown by the elite 1st Special Operations Wing rests on a dirt strip at sunset following a successful landing. Developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the Reaper is the first “hunter-killer” drone equipped with the latest U.S. air-to-ground weaponry. Originally designed for high-altitude surveillance, the Reaper has been upgraded to carry four Hellfire missiles plus two laser-guided 500-pound bombs.

Introduced in 2007, the Reaper is powered by a 950HP turboprop engine and has a range of 2,250 nautical miles. The drone has a ceiling of 50,000 feet and can linger over a target for up to 27 hours. These capabilities make the Reaper ideal for collecting intelligence, including capturing clear images day or night and in all-weather conditions. In combat, the Reaper is used to give close air support, conduct search and rescue missions, and to provide overwatch of friendly troops. All these duties are carried out by pilots who are thousands of miles away.

By ordering the strike, President Trump sent a clear message to the Iranians and their surrogates, there is no escaping the Reaper.