Iran Army Attacks US Bases — Will Other ‘Actors’ Follow Suit?

• The assassination of Qasem Soleimani takes the US-Iran dispute to another level.
• General Soleimani was credited with defending the Iraqi and Syrian regimes and the Shia communities in both these countries and beyond.
• He deployed not only IRGC units to fight against IS but also armed, trained and financed tens of thousands of Shia militia against IS.
• Iran has begun the retaliation by launching missiles targeting US bases in Iraq.
• In addition to Iran, the Lebanese Hezbollah and Shia militia groups, and Sunni threat groups sponsored by Iran are likely to retaliate against Western, especially US, interests.

Iran has begun avenging the killing of General Qasem Soleimani by launching missiles targeting the US bases in Iraq. Pressure is also being mounted on the US by Iraq government to withdraw their presence from the Iraqi soil.

The assassination of Qasem Soleimani, commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force – the military entity's overseas wing, takes the US-Iran dispute to another level. In addition to Iran, the Lebanese Hezbollah and Shia militia groups, and Sunni threat groups sponsored by Iran are likely to retaliate against Western, especially US, interests.

US President Trump authorized the strike based on intelligence that IRGC planned to conduct operations against US targets in the Middle East.