General Qassem Soleimani

Iran fired 15 ballistic missiles into Iraq, targeting US military and coalition forces in retaliation after the US airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last week. There are no reports of US casualties.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Russian diplomacy being set into action in order to deescalate the march towards war between the United States and Iran.

Authored by Federico Pieraccini via The Strategic Culture Foundation:
The murder of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, in the early hours of January 3 by US forces, only highlights the extent to which US strategy in the Middle East has failed. It is likely to provoke reactions that do not benefit US interests in the region.

Life often imitates Art, and Art often imitates Life. If this is held to be true, then one can deduce that the recent “fury” of Iran’s blustery rhetoric is an indication of futility for that nation’s leadership. While it is possible that this is wrong, here are some reasons that in many ways the world community views this latest situation with Iran and the United States as just another day at the office.
News outlets in the US, both liberal and conservative are beating the war drums with extraordinary irresponsibility.

Via Craig Murray…

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou discusses the decision to kill the chief of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Major General Qassem Soleimani, and PMF deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by a US drone at Baghdad’s airport.
Washington said that Soleimani was targeted in order to deter future attacks by Iran against US military personnel and citizens in Iraq and other places abroad. Now that the Trump White House has taken this action against an Iran state official, what happens next, in the escalating conflict between the US and Iran, is anyone’s guess.

UPDATE (via Zerohedge):
A day after an Australian ABC report went viral with the claim that the White House has drawn up plans to strike Iran’s alleged nuclear facilities as early as next month, Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Friday morning it’s a “complete fiction”.

Press TV reports: Iran’s Major General Qassem Soleimani has sharply reacted to the recent “cabaret owner-style” military threat by US President Donald Trump against the Islamic Republic, saying he takes the

After reaching the foot of the Jabal Hayyal mountain on Friday, Syrian troops have captured its summit.
This now puts the Syrian army in a position overlooking Palmyra, which it is now able to dominate with its artillery.
The highly reliable Al-Masdar news agency, which obtains many of its reports from the Syrian army, also reports that Syrian troops