Despite claiming to oppose endless Middle East wars, Trump increases risk of war with Iran after drone strike

University of Notre Dame Professor David Cortright is an expert in nuclear disarmament; use of multilateral sanctions and incentives as tools of international peacemaking; and nonviolent social change. He is also the director of the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM), home to the largest existing collection of implementation data on intrastate peace agreements. His initial comments on the drone strike that killed General Qassim Suleimani are below. He is available for interviews. You can reach him directly at [email protected], or contact me. 

“The targeted assassination of General Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and several others, including a senior Iraqi militia commander, is a dangerous and provocative act that will increase anti-American hatred and generate additional support for violent extremist groups in the region. The U.S. attack will drive the Iraqi and Iranian governments closer together and increase anti-American political pressures within Iraq to end its cooperation with the United States. If Iran reacts harshly to the killing of Suleimani, a pattern of escalating violence could lead to all-out war. Trump said in his 2016 campaign that he opposes endless wars in the Middle East, but he is taking actions at the beginning of the 2020 campaign that are increasing the risk of war with Iran and even wider instability and violence across the region.” 

Media contact: 

Colleen Sharkey

University of Notre Dame

Assistant Director, Media Relations

[email protected]

+1 574 999 0102 

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