President Donald Trump clearly had authority to kill Qassem Soleimani, US Attorney General William Barr said on Monday, adding that the White House consulted with his department before the strike on the Iranian commander.
Barr told reporters that Soleimani was a "legitimate military target" and the strike was a "legitimate act of self-defense."
Soleimani was killed in a US air strike in Baghdad on January 3, sparking fears of an escalation with Tehran.
Iran retaliated last week by firing missiles at two bases housing US forces in Iraq, causing no casualties.
Though the region remains tense, both sides have backed off from intensifying the conflict since the Iranian attack.
