Qassem Soleimani's death has a particular significance for the U.S. military. Here is why:
1. EFP stands for Explosively Formed Projectile and is a type of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that used a shaped charge to launch a superheated piece of metal at a target. They proved particularly effective against American armored vehicles in Iraq.
2. EFPs started popping up in Iraq around 2003.
3. “There was zero question where they were coming from,” General Stanley McChrystal who was the JSOC commander at the time told The New Yorker. “We knew where all the factories were in Iran. The EFPs killed hundreds of Americans.”
4. The Pentagon estimates that 608 American troops were killed by EFPs in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.
5. Qassem Soleiman, was the head of Iran's unconventional warfare unit, Quds Force which ran the EFP campaign.