Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday praised US President Donald Trump for acting to eliminate Iran's Qassem Soleimani.
Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was eliminated Thursday night when a US drone struck near the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq.
"Trump acted swiftly, forcefully and decisively," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel "stands by the US."
Netanyahu's statements were made just prior to embarking on the flight home from Greece, pushed earlier due to concerns of backlash from the Soleimani elimination.
"Just as Israel has the right of self-defense, the United States has exactly the same right. Qassem Soleimani is responsible for the deaths of US citizens and many other innocents. He was planning more such attacks, and President Trump deserves all the credit for acting swiftly, forcefully and decisively.
"Israel stands with the United States in its just struggle for peace, security and self-defense."