The killing of Qasem Soleimani

Soleimani has been described by some outlets as a terrorist leader. This is vastly to underestimate his importance. The al Quds force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is part of Iran’s hugely powerful proxy army, and Soleimani was the regime’s key military strategist and military commander…

President Trump, who ordered the strike against Soleimani, has already weakened the regime through reimposing sanctions. That in itself has helped inspire the immensely brave Iranian protesters who, despite suffering in their thousands murder, jailing and torture, have continued with their demonstrations aimed at bringing down the regime that has so oppressed them and ruined their country.

The killing of Soleimani may now encourage further destabilising demonstrations, not just in Iran itself but also in Lebanon and Iraq whose people have also been mounting unprecedented protests against the Iranian militias and Shia clerics responsible for the fanatical religious oppression of the people. The hitherto unthinkable US killing of Soleimani may now spur all these people to redouble their efforts to bring the tyranny down.

Even a mortally wounded serpent, however, can still cause death and destruction through the thrashing of its tail. America and Israel are now braced for Iran to retaliate. Since the middle of last year it has been escalating its aggression in the region, firing rockets at US bases, attacking oil tankers in regional waters and crippling Saudi Arabia’s most critical oil installation through a multiple missile strike.

So the regime will almost certainly use its still considerable malign power to retaliate. Whatever now happens, however, Trump has achieved something of incalculable benefit for America. He has got it off its knees.

Faced with attacks on American assets, Carter ran away, Clinton prevaricated, Obama actually helped fund them – but Trump ruthlessly and decisively killed the attacker. America is now back as a force to be reckoned with…

Now we have all learned something more about this president; and now the great struggle against the terrible evil of the Iranian Islamic Revolution enters a new phase.