The USA has assassinated one of Iran's top Generals at Baghdad aitport

[chomalungma]

AIBU to think this will lead to just more escalation in what is already a volatile area, given all the issues in Iran at the moment, the proxy wars, the recent arrival of US troops in Iraq.

We also have some British troops in Iraq, as well as Royal Navy ships in the region. This escalation affects us as well.

This person who was assassinated does have blood on his hands www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/03/who-is-qassem-suleimani-profile-iran but does a drone strike killing of him.

The response from Iran

"The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Twitter: “The US’ act of international terrorism, targeting & assassinating General Soleimani – THE most effective force fighting Daesh (ISIS), Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al – is extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation. The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism.”

What consequences will there be?

That's a good point re brexit and timing. Trump knows we need the USA for trade deals and that it could influence our involvement.

Trump is a Loose cannon. I fear he actually does believe America is the greatest country in the world and he can do what he feels fit to others.

I’d be very worried if I was Melania Trump.

I'm glad. I hate Trump but Iran has been a nightmare since 1979, and has spent years destabilising the whole Middle East and fuellling terror across the region. For years we've moaned and groaned and done nothing. It's high time we started hitting back. The people of Iran, who hate their own govt and live in terror, will be delighted by this development. Just remember:

No one escapes when freedom fails
The best men rot in filthy jails
And those who shout "appease, appease"
Are hanged by those they tried to please

Trump causing havoc whilst in his death throes 🙄

The best men rot in filthy jails

And women. I fear for Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe and other British-Iranian nationals.

Trump causing havoc whilst in his death throes

Errr...you do know that the opinion polls show he will walk this year's election and get another 4 years. So hardly.

And women. I fear for Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe and other British-Iranian nationals.

She's been in jail for years with no sign of release whilst we've pussy footed around these utter scumbags.

I would hate to be an American citizen right now. Iran and Iraq are going to retaliate and I imagine it won’t be pretty.

That’s what happens when you have a toddler in charge of a superpower’s foreign policy

Exactly this. And it's not even an intelligent toddler.

I don't understand why DT was allowed to do this? Could advisors not have intervened?

He’s president and chief of staff, etc......unless they have a military coup I don’t think they can stop him. 🤷‍♀️

Trump has sacked all the clever advisors, he can't tolerate anyone who can out manoeuvre him, that leaves him captain of a ship of fools

True, he is very quick to dismiss wrongthink staff.

A ship of fools suits him better. 'In a country of blind men' etc;

Good news for some is the rise in oil prices and armaments are prob seeing a rise too.

It's going to be Iraq all over again, isn't it?

My blood ran cold when I read about this earlier. It's not going to end well, is it? Most of all I fear for ordinary people in Iran and Iraq, and people of Iranian heritage in the US - their lives aren't going to get easier any time soon.

Yanbu.
This is scary on multiple levels. Its a potential lurch towards authoritarianism in the States, globally it is destabilising and locally how will Johnson react?

Solemeini was an evil man, responsible for the deaths of thousands in the last few weeks alone, and the world is a better place without him.

Having said that, the implications of his assassination are terrifying and may lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands more, both in the Middle East and around the world with the terrorist fall-our.

*fall-out

I would hate to be an American citizen right now

It’s Middle Easterners I feel sorry for. They’ll bear the brunt. They always do.

The outgoing Iraqi PM has described the attack as a violation of the conditions for the presence of US troops in there.

Most of all I fear for ordinary people in Iran

They aren't exactly living the good life as it is. Many of them will be very happy that a key figure in their murderous regime has been taken out.

Personally, I think Trumps methods are effective. He doesn't pussyfoot around. He takes decisive action.
The US Embassy was attacked and he retaliated and killed a high ranking evil man with no civilian casualties.

Its about time other countries stop issuing pointless statements 'condemning' the atrocities and actually start taking action.

@vivalebeaver
Obama launched multiple strikes at Libya

I don't know how I feel tbh. The region has not known peace in my lifetime. As long as I can recall there has been war.

Trump needed to appear strong when confronted by attacks on the US

When the us Kenyan embassy was bombed Clinton launched attacks with cruise missiles.

I'm no trump fan but he can not appear weak in the face of provocation.

@buster72. The difference with the Libya strikes was that there had been a UN resolution authorising military action against Libya.