On the night of January 2, 2020, the commander of Iran’s armed forces, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in an airstrike by the United States. This caused a sensation not only in Iran itself, but around the world. The escalation of the conflict seemed inevitable when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the major world countries joined and swore the Islamic circles and Iran to take revenge. What is the situation in the Middle East after one year?
Why was Soleimani killed? How did Iran respond?
Qassem Soleimani was not only the leader of Iran, he was also a hero. He was killed in Baghdad with the leader of the Iraqi militia, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, in response to the attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad. The Pentagon accused Soleimani of silently allowing the attack on the US headquarters in Iraq. It should also be noted that he was an important political opponent. Given the immense obedience and support of the people, while he commanded one of the most effective Special Forces brigades, Jerusalem, he could have weakened the United States’ influence in that region. It was also an opportunity to improve the standing of Russia, which is pro-Iran in opposition to Trump. The Kremlin condemned the event in Baghdad, citing its increasing influence in the region. On the other hand, China called for a de-escalation of the conflict. From the Pentagon side, on the main aspects of the conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the only one. On the other hand, the rest tried to be neutral or openly supportive of Iran, describing the attack on Soleimani as a murder. As for the death itself, Iran has sworn to take revenge.
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The Middle East is still simmering. Will the United States respond?
The tension after the killing of Soleimani led to a wave of armed clashes between Iran, the United States, Iran and Israel. The situation was also ignited by another violation by Iran of the terms of the nuclear agreement, when it pledged to enrich uranium to the level of 20%, when the ceiling was only 3.67%. In defeating Donald Trump for re-election in the elections In 2020, many people saw hope for conflict relief. Biden, the less extreme in public opinion, was the answer. Unfortunately, the fighting does not stop, it may even get stronger.
Iran remains adamant
February 22, 2021 Iranian forces launched another bombing of the US embassy in Baghdad, killing no one. Nevertheless, one should expect a response from the United States, which has not previously left similar positions unanswered. Iran has also announced further steps to enrich uranium, which, in connection with the repeated violation of the nuclear agreement, is likely to lead to more sanctions.
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All that remains is to wait for the American response to this matter. It will be one of the first tests that the new president, Joe Biden, will face. It will likely become clear how to deal with this in the next few days.
