The U.S. War with Iran Goes Hot

On January 3, the United States conducted an airstrike at Iraq’s Baghdad Airport killing Qasem Soleimani, a major general in the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps and key facilitator of Iran’s proxy relationships across the Middle East. The strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a significant figure in Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces. The strike comes amidst a larger escalation that saw the death of an American contractor in an attack allegedly by an Iranian-backed group in Iraq and violent protests at the American embassy.

To discuss the likely region-wide and significant consequences of this strike, its legal ramifications, and the current moment in Iraq, New America welcomes ASU/New America Future of War Fellow and former Director for Iraq at the National Security Council Douglas Ollivant, New America CEO and former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department Anne-Marie Slaughter, Professor of Middle East Studies and former Dean of John Hopkins-SAIS Vali Nasr, and New America Director of Resource Security Sharon Burke.

Speakers:

Douglas Ollivant, @DouglasOllivant
ASU/New America Senior Future of War Fellow
Former Director for Iraq, National Security Council

Anne-Marie Slaughter, @SlaughterAM
CEO, New America
Former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. State Department

Vali Nasr, @vali_nasr
Professor and Former Dean, John Hopkins-SAIS
Former Advisor to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan

Moderator:

Sharon Burke, @burkese
Director, Resource Security program
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy