National security official says Americans are 'walking prime targets' for Iran

Samantha Vinograd, a top national security official during the Obama administration, said all American citizens are now "walking prime targets" for Iranian retaliation.

In an interview with CNN, Vinograd said a former State Department official texted her following the strike against Qasem Soleimani, saying, "I would not want to be in a secretary of State’s motorcade in any country going forward."

"In other words, that U.S. officials need to be concerned that they could be targeted," the CNN national security analyst said, warning that citizens and service members could also be at risk.

"It’s not just service members," Vinograd continued. "All American citizens are now walking prime targets for Iranian retaliation."

President Trump ordered the U.S. strike that killed Soleimani, the high-profile commander of Iran's elite Quds Force who was sometimes described as the country's second-most influential person, at Baghdad International Airport on Thursday, according to the Pentagon.

Trump's first remarks following the strike were made on Twitter Friday morning.

"Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!" the president wrote.

In response, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted a vow for revenge for the "heinous crime."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also said a "harsh retaliation is waiting for the criminals whose filthy hands spilled his blood," NBC News reported.