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Iran Retaliates for Soleimani Killing With Missile Attacks
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A series of ballistic missile attacks (CNN) targeted military bases used by U.S. forces in Iraq as retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced. No U.S. or Iraqi casualties (NYT) were immediately reported by those countries, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump is set to make a public statement about the attack today.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Iran “took & concluded” self-defense measures and does not seek escalation or war, while the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, vowed further retaliation (WSJ). The twenty-two missiles hit Iraq’s Erbil and Ain al-Asad military bases, Iraqi officials said. Since Soleimani’s killing on Friday, world leaders have urged de-escalation (Forbes) between Washington and Tehran and Trump has consulted with advisors and allies, which included a visit (Axios) from a Saudi Arabian envoy.
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“There will be ample time down the road to diagnose how we got to where we are and to allocate responsibility. The priority now ought to be to slow down decision-making on both sides and create some time & space for reassessment, signaling, and direct/indirect communication,” tweets CFR President Richard N. Haass.
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