‘Trump stirs ME tensions despite talk of endless wars’

With a single drone strike, President Donald Trump did more than just take out an avowed enemy of the United States. He may have have also upended a central element of his foreign policy.

The Friday strike that killed the most prominent Iranian general may have ended any chance that he would get the United States out of the “endless wars” in the Middle East that he has railed against since taking office.

The killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad has the world bracing for a possible retaliation, with many fearing it could lead to a wider conflict. “It is probably the most profound escalation that the United States could have taken,” said Ned Price, who served on the National Security Council under President Barack Obama.

Trump has been on a confrontational path with Iran since even before he took office, when he pledged to end the Iran nuclear deal signed by Obama. He insisted he doesn’t want war and the killing of Soleimani wasn’t meant to provoke the Islamic Republic. “We took action last night to stop a war,” Trump sad. “We did not take action to start a war.”

Nonetheless, the targeting of Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was arguably the most provocative military action in the Middle East since President George W. Bush launched the 2003 Iraq war to topple Saddam Hussein.

 

Trump stirs ME tensions despite talk of endless wars

With a single drone strike, President Donald Trump did more than just take out an avowed enemy of the United States. He may have have also upended a central element of his foreign policy. The Friday strike that killed the most prominent Iranian general may have ended any chance that he would get the United States out of the endless wars in the Middle East that he has railed against since taking office. The killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad has the world bracing for a possible retaliation, with many fearing it could lead to a wider conflict. It is probably the most profound escalation that the United States could have taken, said Ned Price, who served on the National Security Council under President Barack Obama. Trump has been on a confrontational path with Iran since even before he took office, when he pledged to end the Iran nuclear deal signed by Obama. He insisted he doesnt want war and the killing of Soleimani wasnt meant to provoke the Islamic Republic. We took action last night to stop a war, Trump sad. We did not take action to start a war. Nonetheless, the targeting of Soleimani, the head of Irans elite Quds Force, was arguably the most provocative military action in the Middle East since President George W. Bush launched the 2003 Iraq war to topple Saddam Hussein.