A police officer stands in a subway corridor in New York City. Photo: Reuters / Brendan McDermid.

The assassination in Baghdad of top Iranian official Qassem Soleimani had “major security implications” for the US homeland and the American people, an expert told The Algemeiner on Friday.

In an email, Dr. Joshua Gleis — an international security consultant and political risk analyst — noted, “General Soleimani was leader of the Quds force, an elite special forces brigade within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the IRGC) that was responsible for Iran’s extra-territorial military operations — including all terrorist activities. Soleimani also helped arm and coordinate activities with the terrorist group Hezbollah, as well as other US-designated terrorist organizations.”

“The Quds Force and its affiliates are capable of effectively targeting US assets, soldiers and citizens abroad as well as in the United States,” Gleis warned. “They can use traditional as well as asymmetrical and terrorist forms of warfare to conduct their attacks. They are extremely capable and coordinated.”

“While there have been no direct threats of retaliation yet made by Iran, the US military, US government agencies, prominent landmarks, as well as Israeli assets and Jewish institutions are all at an elevated risk of attack as a result,” he added. “There is also the potential to escalate tensions between Iran/Hezbollah and Israel, which would also directly affect the Jewish people around the world.”

“Institutions should increase their vigilance and report any and all suspicious activities to all relevant law enforcement agencies,” Gleis — the president of Gleis Security Consulting — emphasized. “Quds Force members are more likely to conduct pre-operational surveillance prior to a more coordinated attack than more recent ‘lone-wolf’ attacks conducted by ISIS. As a result, any and all suspicious activity should be acted upon and reported immediately to law enforcement.”