Make no mistake about it: The assassination of Qasem Soleimani, described by some as Iran’s second-most powerful man, will bring a major escalation of tensions between the United States and the Tehran regime.
How Tehran will respond remains unclear. We can only hope that the Trump administration has sober, well-thought-out plans for dealing with likely retaliation from Tehran. Unfortunately, from what we know of this administration so far, and its Iran policy in particular, that seems highly unlikely.
But what about the Iranian people? Don’t they matter?
The reaction to the killing on social media within Iran varies widely. Some are applauding Soleimani’s death because they considered him a pillar of the regime. Those close to the government are mourning him for the same reasons.
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