Historian Peyman Jafari speaks about mounting tensions between US and Iran

On Friday, 3 January, the American army assassinated the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at the Al Asad air base near Baghdad, Iraq, at which US forces are stationed, apparently causing no casualties. Who was Soleimani and what consequences will his death have? UvA historian and Iran expert Peyman Jafari sheds light on this tense situation. According to Jafari, who currently also works as an associate research scholar at Princeton University, the situation can only be understood by recognising that these recent developments are not taking place in a vacuum. In a Dutch media appearance, he explained that 'you must view it from the context of the American presence in Iraq, which goes back to 2003, and the fact that Saudi Arabia has a lot of influence in the region. Because Iran cannot impose economic sanctions on the US, it resorts to asymmetric warfare : by striking via its allies.' Soleimani was an influential military leader who forged alliances in the Middle East with this goal in mind. This way, the general tried to undermine the Americans.