Ilhan Omar just pointed out one really f**ked up detail about Trump's war on Iran
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2020-01-07
Donald Trump effectively started a war with Iran on 3 January by assassinating one of the country's top generals. As would be the case with virtually any other regional power, Iran has vowed to respond. | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar took to Twitter on 6 January and pointed out one sobering, maddening, and…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/01/07/ilhan-omar-just-pointed-out-one-really-fked-up-detail-about-trumps-war-on-iran/

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez Goes to Washington: AOC shamed into un-liking antiwar journalist's tweet, apologizing for wrongthink
rt.com | 2020-01-07
New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez learned the hard way about the phalanx of thought-police waiting to pounce on politicians' 'wrongthink' when she was shamed into un-liking a tweet from an antiwar journalist. | Ocasio-Cortez (AOC, for short) stepped a little too far outside the mainstream when she clicked 'like' on a tweet by journalist Rania Khalek about US fears of Iranian retaliation over the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. An army of blue-checks and their enforcers quickly encircled her to point out the error of her ways, gloating when she finally knuckled under and apologized. | Last ni…
rt.com/usa/477659-aoc-iran-strike-trolls-khalek/

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez Goes to Washington: AOC shamed into un-liking antiwar journalist's tweet, apologizing for wrongthink
rt.com | 2020-01-07
New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez learned the hard way about the phalanx of thought-police waiting to pounce on politicians' 'wrongthink' when she was shamed into un-liking a tweet from an antiwar journalist. | Ocasio-Cortez (AOC, for short) stepped a little too far outside the mainstream when she clicked 'like' on a tweet by journalist Rania Khalek about US fears of Iranian retaliation over the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. An army of blue-checks and their enforcers quickly encircled her to point out the error of her ways, gloating when she finally knuckled under and apologized. | January…
rt.com/usa/477659-aoc-iran-strike-trolls-khalek/

Iranian and Hezbollah leaders oppose attacking civilians as Trump threatens to bomb cultural sites
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-07
Washington's top bogeymen, Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei and Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, called to protect civilians and only hit military targets. Meanwhile,…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/07/iran-hezbollah-civilians-trump-cultural-sites/

Iranian and Hezbollah leaders condemn attacking civilians as Trump threatens to bomb cultural sites
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-07
Washington's top bogeymen, Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei and Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, called to protect civilians and only hit military targets. Meanwhile,…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/07/iran-hezbollah-civilians-trump-cultural-sites/

America, An Empire on its Last Leg: To be Kicked Out from the Middle East?
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
America's hegemonic military agenda in the Middle East has reached a dangerous threshold. | The assassination of IRGC General Soleimani ordered by the President of the United States on January 3, 2020 is tantamount to an Act of War against Iran….
globalresearch.ca/america-an-empire-on-its-last-leg-to-be-kicked-out-from-the-middle-east/5699693

The Democratic Party's Militarism Rears Its Ugly Head
Norman Solomon | truthdig.com | 2020-01-07
There's nothing like an illegal and utterly reckless U.S. act of war to illuminate the political character of presidential candidates. In the days since the assassination of Iran's top military official, two of the highest-polling Democratic contenders have displayed the kind of moral cowardice that got the United States into–and kept it in –horrific wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq. | Eager to hedge their bets, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg have offered merely tactical critiques of President Trump's decision to kill Qassim Suleimani. In sharp contrast to Elizabeth Warren and especially Bernie…
truthdig.com/articles/the-democratic-partys-militarism-rears-its-ugly-head/

Is this the end of U.S. interference in West Asia?
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-01-07
Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif reacted strongly to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's suggestion that Iraqis were "dancing in the street" to celebrate the assassination. On Twitter, Zarif posted pictures of the funeral procession for Soleimani and wrote, "End of U.S. malign presence in West Asia has begun." | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/07/is-this-the-end-of-u-s-interference-in-west-asia/

From 9/11 Inside Job to Political Assassinations
All the Same Lie | indybay.org | 2020-01-07
From the 9/11 Inside Job, the American Reichstag Fire perpetrated by Bush on 9/11/01 to the Assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani who was delivering a peace proposal to Saudi Arabia in Iraq, the motive is the same: perpetrate war and fascism to maximize profits, the greatest profits being in oil and munitions. See thegrayzone.com/2020/01/06/soleimani-peace-mission-assassinated-trump-lie-imminent-attacks/…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/06/18829488.php

Lawrence Wilkerson on Trump's Iran aggression: same neocon lies, new target
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-07
As millions of Iranians mourn the US murder of Qassem Soleimani, ex-Bush administration official Col. Lawrence Wilkerson discuses the parallels…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/07/lawrence-wilkerson-on-trumps-iran-aggression-same-neocon-lies-new-target/

Cleveland activists rally against U.S. attack on Iran
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-07
Cleveland, OH – Anti-war activists took to Market Square in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, January 4, at noon to denounce U.S. imperialism and aggression towards Iran following the murder of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani by the Trump regime. | Chanting slogans of "1, 2, 3, 4, we don't want your racist war! 5, 6, 7, 8, stop the killings, stop the hate!" and "We are people, we want peace! U.S. out of Middle East!" around 100 protesters rallied as prepared speeches were given by representatives from the Workers World Party, Cleveland State University's Middle East and Northern Africa student group, Pe…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/7/cleveland-activists-rally-against-us-attack-iran

Milwaukee: Protesters stand against act of war on Iran, say, "Not in our name"
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-07
Milwaukee, WI – The four corners of 27th and West Oklahoma on Milwaukee's South Side were filled with protesters on the afternoon of January 4. Activists were gathered to stand against the U.S.'s acts of war against Iran. It was a chilly afternoon, the wind biting into those assembled, but loud chanting intermingled with the frequent honks from motorists on the busy Milwaukee streets echoed into the area. | "Honk for peace! Honk for peace! No more war in the Middle East!" chanted 100 demonstrators brave enough to stand against the imperialist war machine. Everyone held banners, flags or handmade signs. | Kellie L…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/6/milwaukee-protesters-stand-against-act-war-iran-say-not-our-name

Grand Rapids, MI protest against war with Iran
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-07
Grand Rapids, MI – On January 4, about 35 people gathered at the intersection of Division and Fulton, the center point of Grand Rapids, to express their outrage and protest the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. Soleimani was killed outside Baghdad's airport. | Signs read: "No war on Iran," "U.S. out of Iraq and the Middle East," "No war," "Bad president/bad decisions" and the iconic "Give peace a chance." The crowd chanted, "No more war" and "No war in Iran." | Organized by a small group of progressive activists, the protest attracted a diverse group of people from or…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/6/grand-rapids-mi-protest-against-war-iran

Invoke U.N.'s Uniting For Peace Resolution Before Trump Embroils Us In War With Iran
Dimitri Lascaris | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-07
In the early hours of January 3, 2020, the United States military assassinated Iran's most powerful military commander, General Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani's killing, accomplished by means of a drone strike in Baghdad, was done without the authorization of the Iraqi government. It thus constitutes a grave breach of Iraqi sovereignty. It also constitutes an act of …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/invoke-u-n-s-uniting-for-peace-resolution-before-trump-embroils-us-in-war-with-iran/

Canadian Peace Congress Condemns Imperial War Crimes
Laura Savinkoff | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
Dear Friends for Peace, | The Canadian Peace Congress condemns the murders of Iranian General Soleimani and others in the motorcade leaving Baghdad International Airport on January 3rd, 2020 as an act of war by the United States against Iraq and …
globalresearch.ca/canadian-peace-congress-condemns-imperial-war-crimes/5699932

Attacks on Iran, Past and Present
John Scales Avery | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-07
The assassination of General Qasem Soleimani On Friday, 3 January, 2020, progressives in the United States and all peace-loving people throughout the world were horrified to learn that Donald Tromp had added to his long list of crimes and imbicilities by ordering the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, who is a hero in his own…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/07/attacks-on-iran-past-and-present/

Take Action Now: No War With Iran
NationAction | thenation.com | 2020-01-07
Protest endless war, learn about the situation in Iran, and work towards peace at home and abroad.
thenation.com/article/take-action-now-no-war-with-iran/

Minneapolis joins with 90 U.S. cities to say "U.S. troops out of Iraq – no war on Iran"
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-07
Minneapolis, MN – On January 4, over 700 people took to the streets of Minneapolis to denounce the Trump administration's moves to provoke a war with Iran and their prolonging the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Protests also took place in at least 90 cities across the United States. | The protest, called on two days' notice in response to escalating U.S. military actions in Iraq and threats against Iran, brought out a wide range of people to speak out against the U.S. war threats. | The Minneapolis protest was initiated by Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and endorsed by a range of groups including Anti-War Committee,…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/7/minneapolis-joins-90-us-cities-say-us-troops-out-iraq-no-war-iran

San Francisco: Global Day of Protest – No War on Iran!
ANSWER Coalition | indybay.org | 2020-01-07
Powell + Market Street, San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/06/18829487.php

Evidence? What evidence? Pompeo shows no proof of 'imminent' Soleimani attacks
rt.com | 2020-01-07
The US says that Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was plotting "imminent and sinister" attacks against its diplomats and military personnel. But when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was pressed for evidence of this, he gave none. | Soleimani, commander of the Iranian military's Quds Force, was assassinated in a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday. Before the strike, President Donald Trump implicated Iran in a fatal rocket attack on an American base in Iraq in December, and in the storming of the American embassy in Baghdad by protesters last week. Afterwards, he said that Soleimani was killed to prevent "i…
rt.com/usa/477663-pomepo-no-evidence-soleimani/

Evidence? What evidence? Pompeo shows no proof of 'imminent' Soleimani attacks
rt.com | 2020-01-07
The US says that Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was plotting "imminent and sinister" attacks against its diplomats and military personnel. But when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was pressed for evidence of this, he gave none. | Soleimani, commander of the Iranian military's Quds Force, was assassinated in a drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday. Before the strike, President Donald Trump implicated Iran in a fatal rocket attack on an American base in Iraq in December, and in the storming of the American embassy in Baghdad by protesters last week. Afterwards, he said that Soleimani was killed to prevent "i…
rt.com/usa/477663-pomepo-no-evidence-soleimani/

Trump and His Team Are Lying Their Way to War with Iran
Ryan Costello | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
President Trump ordering the killing of Qassem Soleimani is troubling on several fronts. The assassination has been treated as an act of war in Iran, uniting disparate political factions after a brutal crackdown on protesters in November. Now, U.S. forces …
globalresearch.ca/trump-team-lying-way-war-iran/5699861

In San José, Protesters Say We've Got a Moron with a War On
Text: R.R. Photos: Bernie Bob Jung | indybay.org | 2020-01-07
Many interesting signs and flags from national day of action against war on Iran in San José, California. | January 4, 2020.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/07/18829493.php

Noam Chomsky: US Is a Rogue State and Suleimani's Assassination Confirms It
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-07
Trump's decision to assassinate one of Iran's most prominent and highly respected military leaders, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, has added yet another name to the list of people killed by the U.S. — which many rightly see as the world's biggest rogue state. | The assassination has escalated hostilities between Tehran and Washington and created an even more explosive situation in the politically volatile Middle East. As was to be expected, Iran has vowed to retaliate on its own terms for the…
truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-us-is-a-rogue-state-and-suleimanis-assassination-confirms-it/

Killing Soleimani Reflects US Desperation in the Middle East
Ramzy Baroud — Romana Rubeo | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-07
By killing top Iranian military commander, Qasem Soleimani, American and Israeli leaders demonstrated the idiom 'out of the frying pan into the fire.' US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are both politically and legally embattled — the former has just been impeached and the latter is dogged by an Attorney General…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/07/killing-soleimani-reflects-us-desperation-in-the-middle-east/

Trump is Starting a War With Iran, Whether by Accident or Design
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-07
Is this war by accident or war by design? We've all said that a major war in the Middle East could start by accident. But no one thought Donald Trump would go for the jugular quite like this. To kill General Qassem Soleimani is a sword at the heart of Iran, without doubt. And on whose behalf?
counterpunch.org/2020/01/07/trump-is-starting-a-war-with-iran-whether-by-accident-or-design/

Video: Qassem Soleimani: Martyr of Iranian Revolution
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
For the first time in the history of Iran, a red flag was raised over the Holy Dome of Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom both symbolizing blood spilled unjustly and serving as a call to avenge a …
globalresearch.ca/video-qassem-soleimani-martyr-iranian-revolution/5699862

Impeach Trump for Acts of War on Iraq, Iran and Elsewhere
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
Trump's legal team reportedly prepared their strategy to challenge articles of impeachment by House Dems — yet to be sent to the GOP-controlled Senate for trial. | According to Law Professor Jonathan Turley, "(b)y rushing the impeachment and forcing a vote | …
globalresearch.ca/impeach-trump-for-acts-of-war-on-iraq-iran-and-elsewhere/5699934

Here Are Some Ways Your Congress Members Can Oppose Iran War
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-07
In the wake of President Trump's decision to kill a powerful Iranian general and an Iraqi Shia militia leader in a drone strike on Friday, Congress has the power to stop what is arguably already a proxy war with Iran from devolving into all-out war. Indeed, lawmakers already have several options for reasserting their constitutional war powers and immediately taking action to prevent further violence, including measures to block war funding and repeal longstanding military authorizations. | Topping the list i…
truthout.org/articles/here-are-some-ways-your-congress-members-can-oppose-iran-war/

Burial of slain Iranian general Soleimani delayed due to huge crowds, STAMPEDE kills 50 — state media
rt.com | 2020-01-07
The burial of assassinated Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani has been postponed due to a deadly stampede which erupted on Tuesday during the funeral procession, state media reported. | Iranians poured into the streets of Soleimani's hometown of Kerman on Tuesday to pay their final respects. Photographs of the funeral procession show throngs of mourners dressed in black. Some carried flags and portraits of the slain Quds Force leader as they slowly moved through the town. Local media estimated that several million people attended the funeral. | | Iranian mourners gather around a vehicle carrying the…
rt.com/news/477633-soleimani-stampede-killed-iran-funeral/

Burial of slain Iranian general Soleimani delayed due to huge crowds, STAMPEDE kills 40 — state media
rt.com | 2020-01-07
The burial of assassinated Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani has been postponed due to a stampede which erupted on Tuesday during the funeral procession, state media reported. | Iranians poured into the streets of Soleimani's hometown of Kerman on Tuesday to pay their final respects. Photographs of the funeral procession show throngs of mourners dressed in black. Some carried flags and portraits of the slain Quds Force leader as they slowly moved through the town. Local media estimated that several million people attended the funeral. | | Iranian mourners gather around a vehicle carrying the coffin…
rt.com/news/477633-soleimani-stampede-killed-iran-funeral/

Major U.S. Military Contractors Stand to Reap Huge Windfalls from Escalation of Conflict with Iran
Sarah Anderson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
CEOs of major U.S. military contractors stand to reap huge windfalls from the escalation of conflict with Iran. This was evident in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. assassination of a top Iranian military official last week. As soon as …
globalresearch.ca/major-u-s-military-contractors-stand-to-reap-huge-windfalls-from-escalation-of-conflict-with-iran/5699945

Al-Asad US base in Iraq comes under attack by multiple rockets
rt.com | 2020-01-07
At least six rockets have struck the Al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, which houses US troops, and there are unconfirmed reports of up to 30 missiles. The incident comes as the US and Iran stand on the brink of open war. | …
rt.com/news/477674-alasad-airbase-rockets-iraq/

Trump's Assassination of Iran's Suleimani Was a Colossal Strategic Blunder
Roxane Farmanfarmaian | thenation.com | 2020-01-07
Trump's Assassination of Iran's Suleimani Was a Colossal Strategic Blunder…
thenation.com/article/trump-iran-suleimani-iraq/

Fragmentation in the "Axis of Resistance" Led to Soleimani's Death
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
It was not the US decision to fire missiles against the IRGC commander Brigadier General Qassem Soleimani that killed the Iranian officer and his companions in Baghdad. Yes, of course, the order that was given to launch missiles from the …
globalresearch.ca/fragmentation-in-the-axis-of-resistance-led-to-soleimanis-death/5699939

Trump has Placed the United States on a Collision Course with Iran
Donald Monaco | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
Donald Trump has placed the United States on a collision course with Iran. Why? To begin with, Trump it seems, has a personal animus toward Iran similar to the one that Bush Jr. had against Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Bush | …
globalresearch.ca/trump-iran/5699878

The US propaganda machine justifies the assassination of Qassem Suleimani
wsws.org | 2020-01-07
To present with any degree of honesty the life of Major General Qassem Suleimani would require acknowledging the criminal role the United States has played in subverting the interests of the people of Iran and the entire Middle East for upwards of 70 years.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/07/pers-j07.html

Iranian Revenge Will Be A Dish Best Served Cold
Scott Ritter | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-07
The assassination by the United States of Qassem Suleimani, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general and commander of the Quds Force, an Iranian paramilitary force specializing in covert operations on foreign soil, has sent shock waves through the Middle …
globalresearch.ca/iranian-revenge-will-be-a-dish-best-served-cold/5699942

Trump follows Pentagon and State Department lead, says he wants US troops out of Iraq eventually — but not just yet
rt.com | 2020-01-07
While he would like to bring the US troops home at some point, President Donald Trump ruled out leaving Iraq at this time, claiming most Iraqis support ongoing US presence and that pulling out would lead to an Iranian takeover. | "It's something ultimately that I want to see, we can't be there forever," Trump said Tuesday, asked if he would pull out troops from Iraq. "Eventually, we want to be able to let Iraq run its own affairs… but this isn't the right point," he quickly added. | If we leave, that means Iran would have a much bigger foothold. | The president's words echoed the rhetoric coming from the Pen…
rt.com/usa/477669-trump-troops-iraq-eventually/

Iraqi prime minister: Trump used diplomatic cover to lure Soleimani to his death
Steve Sweeney | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-07
President Donald Trump has been accused of committing a war crime after claims that Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was lured to Iraq, where he was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike on Friday. Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi stated that he was due to meet the elite Quds force commander after he landed in Baghdad …
peoplesworld.org/article/iraqi-prime-minister-trump-used-diplomatic-cover-to-lure-soleimani-to-his-death/

WATCH 1st video of alleged 'Iranian revenge' attack on US base in Iraq
rt.com | 2020-01-07
Video footage has emerged purporting to show the first moments of an alleged Iranian retaliatory strike on an American base in Iraq, which comes days after a US assassination of a top Iranian general. | "'Hard revenge' begins / Army's heavy missile attacks on US base in [Ayn al-Asad]," wrote the semi-official Fars News Agency amid reports of a heavy missile attack on an American airbase in Iraq. | pic.twitter.com/sbw0cwGH6BРخبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency)
rt.com/news/477676-iraq-us-base-attack-videos/

Iranian-Americans detained at US-Canada border in wake of Suleimani assassination
wsws.org | 2020-01-07
More than 60 US citizens were held at a border crossing in Washington state Saturday, subject to illegal detention and interrogation before being allowed to return to their own country.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/07/bord-j07.html

NLG Strongly Condemns Assassinations by U.S. & Increased Repression of Iranian Nationals
National Lawyers Guild | indybay.org | 2020-01-07
NLG Strongly Condemns Illegal Targeted Assassinations by U.S. & Increased Repression of Iranian Nationals at U.S. Borders…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/06/18829485.php

US deploys 6 B-52 strategic bombers to Indian Ocean base amid drastic spike in tensions with Iran — report
rt.com | 2020-01-07
The US Air Force is sending six B-52 Stratofortress long-range bombers to Diego Garcia, a secretive military outpost in the Indian Ocean, as tension soars in the wake of a US assassination strike on a top Iranian general. | The bombers will be "available for operations against Iran if ordered," CNN's Barbara Starr reported Monday, citing an unnamed US official, though the reporter noted the new deployment "does not signal that operations have been ordered." | Pentagon to begin sending 6 B-52s to Diego Garcia: US official. B-52s will be available for operations against Iran if ordered, the official said. But th…
rt.com/usa/477614-b52-bomber-diego-garcia-iran/

Trump/Pence Out Now! No War on Iran
Curt Wechsler | indybay.org | 2020-01-07
24th & Mission, San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/06/18829474.php

Sanders criticizes Biden's record on the Mideast
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-07
The Trump-ordered killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iran's second in command, has made its way into the 2020 presidential campaign, with Bernie Sanders, on national television yesterday, stepping up his sharp criticism of former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders singled out Biden's record on foreign policy for special condemnation, saying Biden was not the person …
peoplesworld.org/article/sanders-criticizes-bidens-record-on-the-mideast/

Iran 'not interested' in having nukes, will stick to JCPOA once given benefits in return — UN envoy
rt.com | 2020-01-07
Prohibited by the supreme leader's decree, nuclear weapons are inconsistent with Iran's defensive doctrine, the country's UN envoy said after Tehran announced the suspension of limits under the 2015 deal. | Iran's decision to lift restrictions on uranium enrichment — after a US drone strike killed General Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport — made headlines in Western media, with some speculating that the Islamic Republic could be seeking nuclear weapons. | However, Iran's ambassador to the UN, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, reassured the public that this is not the case — even though the…
rt.com/news/477615-iran-nuclear-weapons-ambassador/

US denies Iran's FM Zarif visa to address Security Council in violation of UN treaty
rt.com | 2020-01-07
Washington has refused to issue a visa to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, even though, as the host of the United Nations headquarters, the US is obliged to allow foreign officials into the country. | The visa request was filed several weeks ago, before the latest escalation, and would give the top Iranian diplomat a stage to speak out following last Thursday's drone strike assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani, along with senior Iraqi militia leaders. | "They fear that someone comes to the US and reveals realities," Zarif said after being denied a v…
rt.com/news/477610-zarif-denied-visa-un-iran/

Americans approve of Trump's assassination of Soleimani… even though 60% had never heard of him — poll
rt.com | 2020-01-07
A new poll has found that Americans doubt Donald Trump has a clear Iran policy, but nonetheless they support the decision to kill Qassem Soleimani — who, remarkably, had been an unknown entity for the majority of respondents. | Forty-three percent of Americans said they approved of the US drone strike that killed the Iranian commander last week in Baghdad, while 38% disapproved and 19% said they were unsure, according to the results of a HuffPost/YouGov survey. | The somewhat…
rt.com/usa/477644-poll-americans-trump-soleimani-support/

Trump vs. Iran: Has the US Crossed the Escalation to War Rubicon?
Jack Rasmus | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-07
Wars occur when ideologues and/or reckless leaders in position of power are willing to engage in high risk brinksmanship in foreign policy military adventures–often as a distraction from their growing domestic problems. Their megolomania often leads them to misread the potential response of their targeted adversary, setting off a process of unavoidable tit for tat…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/07/trump-vs-iran-has-the-us-crossed-the-escalation-to-war-rubicon/