The head of Iran's nuclear program said Monday the U.S. killing of a high-ranking Iranian general has weakened the fight against the Islamic State extremist group in the region.
Ali Akbar Salehi told a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna that last month's drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani showed "the U.S. administration has not yet come to its senses in recognizing the realities on the ground."
Washington targeted Soleimani, who headed Iran's expeditionary Quds Force, saying that he was planning attacks on Americans.
In his role, Soleimani was also critical to efforts to mobilize militias in Iraq to fight the Islamic State group, and Salehi called him "the most instrumental element in combating ISIS."