The article analizes the implications and consequences of the assassination, in the early 2020, of the head of the Iranian elite Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, in a U.S. air strike near the Baghdad Airport in Iraq. The piece also attempts to place the tragic event into the general context of the U.S. policy, as well as global politics at large. The assassination of Soleimani became a major watershed in international relations, raising questions as to the character of the U.S. policy in the region and towards Iran in particular. The act seemed to contradict the Republican administration’s proclaimed goals of ending wars and withdrawing from the Middle East, while it also reflected the inconsistent and haphazard nature of Trump’s politics. It also failed to anticipate Iranian possible military retalitations as well as negative repercussions from both the U.S. partners in the Gulf and the European allies. Furthermore, Soleimani’s assassination all but ended Iran’s participation in the Iranian Nuclear Deal, which became the collateral victim of the Trump’s reckless escapade. While narrowly avoiding the spill-over into a major military confrontation, the crisis could have been damaging for each and every of the concerned countries, including the United States itself. It created obvious dangers and pitfalls for future global relations, weakened the regional stability, and undermined the existing international legal instruments for conflict resolution.
Qasem Soleimani’s assassination; Iran; Iranian Nuclear Deal; maximum sanctions; Trump’s strategy.