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U.S. Strike on Qassem Soleimani Leads to More Questions than Answers
By Troy Parker, Associate Editor On January 3rd, 2020, the United States conducted an airstrike on a car departing Iraq. The car contained the second most powerful man in Iran—General Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani was responsible for dozens of attacks on U.S. personnel over many years and was labeled as a terrorist in 2011. However, many questions now emerge from the ashes of this strike, including: how did we get here? Did President Trump have the legal authority to do this? And what is to come of the growing tensions between the two countries? The U.S. and Iran have not had a diplomatic relationship since 1980. A breakthrough appeared imminent with…
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From Sanctions to War: An Analysis of America’s Relationship With Iran
By: Sarah Hansen, Associate Editor On Saturday, September 15, 2019, drone strikes hit oil installations in Saudi Arabia. While Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attacks, the United States and Saudi Arabia maintain that Iran was responsible. The Trump administration claims intelligence assessments and satellite photos show evidence of Iranian involvement. Iran has denied any involvement and American officials have offered no evidence beyond satellite photos, which analysts said were insufficient to prove the source of the attack and responsible parties. Despite a lack of sufficient evidence, the U.S. continues to blame Iran for the attack. President Trump announced on Twitter he would “substantially increase sanctions” on Iran after…