Follow this maze, if you can.

Last week, #Trump ordered the assassination of #Iran General Qassem #Soleimani as payback for Iran-linked Shia militias protesting in front of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, #Iraq.

The Iraqi parliament then passed a symbolic, non-binding measure to have the #Americans leave their country over this violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Meanwhile, after three days of official mourning for Soleimani, #Ayatollah # Khamenei violated Iraq’s sovereignty AGAIN by launching non-lethal missile attacks on Iraqi bases where American troops operate.

All this while folks all over the world were terrified that 41 years of tensions between Iran and the US would finally escalate into a proper, conventional war… or even #WW3!

At time of recording, it seemed as though tensions had receded somewhat, with Iran stating it had retaliated in a manner compliant with international law. Trump has come out and said that it's time to give diplomacy a chance. The Iraqis remain stuck in the middle.

BUT NOW, it appears that in this fog of almost-but-not-quite war, the Iranians may have accidentally(?) shot down a commercial flight filled with Iranians AND Canadians! Using Russian antiaircraft missiles!

This week, Steve and Soumi chip away at elucidating this incredibly tense and crazy situation.

Further Reading:

1. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/30/the-shadow-commander2. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-dangers-posed-by-the-killing-of-qassem-suleimani3. https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/30/middleeast/us-strikes-iraq-syria-analysis-intl/index.html4. https://www.ft.com/content/40dc36ee-2b15-11ea-a126-99756bd8f45e5. https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-finally-fires-back-at-iran-115776620296. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/contractor-whose-death-trump-cites-was-a-naturalized-us-citizen-born-in-iraq/2020/01/07/afa7e774-31ac-11ea-91fd-82d4e04a3fac_story.html7. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/middleeast/plane-crash-iran-intl-hnk/index.html