In the days since President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the presidents’s spokespeople have taken to the airwaves to claim that we are safer with the Iranian who had the death of hundreds of Americans on his hands gone. But so far, things don’t feel safer. The Iranian government–which has a global network of proxies at its disposal–promised revenge. It vowed to enrich uranium beyond limits set by the agreement struck during then Obama Administration. The Iraqi parliament voted to expel U.S. troops from that country and the U.S announced the beginning of its withdrawal. Oil prices moved upward. Russia, Iran, and ISIS stood poised to benefit from declining U.S. influence. To some, another Mideast war seemed inevitable. But is it? Will Iran prove to be the rational actor who calms then situation? Will Trump blink and actually seek the de-escalation his Secretary of State promised? Will divisions in the national security establishment have an impact? Kori Schake of AEI, Rosa Brooks of Georgetown Law and Joe Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund discuss on an urgent, can’t miss episode of Deep State Radio.
