Have the US and Iran stepped back from the brink of war?

Iran's response to the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani was measured and has been met with a conciliatory response from Washington

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks from the White House on January 08, 2020 in Washington, DC. During his remarks, Trump addressed the Iranian missile attacks tha
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks from the White House on January 08, 2020 in Washington
(Image credit: 2020 Getty Images)

From the moment news of Qasem Soleimani’s death at the hands of the US broke last Wednesday, the world has waited anxiously for the inevitable Iranian response.

It came in the early hours of yesterday morning - 22 missiles from Iranian territory hit Al Asad, an air base in the desert of western Iraq, and a second air base in Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

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William Gritten

William Gritten is a London-born, New York-based strategist and writer focusing on politics and international affairs.