The killing of Qassem Soleimani has raised the spectre of military confrontation between the U.S. and Iran. With the U.S. terming the killing a pre- emptive strike and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowing to retaliate harshly, the stage is set for heightened tensions. The ascension of Donald Trump as the President of the U.S. saw the collapse of the much-acclaimed nuclear deal signed by his predecessor and also the imposition of fresh sanctions on Iran with an intent to usher in regime change. However, the strategy of weakening Tehran through punitive economic sanctions and force has its own limits and would hardly serve the cause of peace and stability.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
