Iranian top general Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US missile attack in Baghdad. For the regime in Tehran, the murder of the commander of the Quds brigades is a declaration of war.
The situation between Tehran and Washington has become increasingly acute in recent months. In 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally canceled the international nuclear deal with Iran. There is great concern that the conflict will continue to escalate.
An overview of the events:
January 2019 : In a speech in Egyptian Cairo, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo names two main goals of US strategy in the Middle East: defeating the terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) and containing Iran's influence - and is sending a clear signal. President Trump also sees Iran as one of the greatest threats. An assessment by the security authorities, which in their annual threat report assume that Iran does not have any significant nuclear weapons development activities, is countered by Trump: "They are wrong."
February 2019: Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accuses the US of "exporting insecurity to the Middle East" and trying to bring about regime change in its country.
March 2019: The United States imposes sanctions on several Iranian organizations and individuals.
April 2019: The United States classifies the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. It is the first time that Washington has blacklisted another country's military unit. Until then, IS and Boko Haram had been on the foreign ministry's list.
May 2019: Iranian President Hassan Rohani declares a partial withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. The United States then imposes economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Four oil tankers are attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, an important waterway. The United States blames Iran for this. The regime denies the allegations. Washington sends more troops to the region.
June 2019: Tensions between Iran and the United States intensify dramatically. First, there are further attacks on ships in the Gulf of Oman. On July 20, Iran shoots down a U.S. reconnaissance drone. "A very big mistake," as Trump later says. However, the US President says he will cancel a planned military strike ten minutes before the start. The death toll would have been "disproportionate".
.... On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a general. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it, not ....
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2019July 2019: Iranian Revolutionary Guards fix the British tanker "Stena Impero" on the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guards accuse the crew of violating maritime law regulations in the Persian Gulf. The ship is not released until ten weeks later. British authorities had previously detained an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar. The British government rules out an exchange of the tankers. The Iranian ship will then be released in August.
September 2019: Attacks on Saudi Arabian oil fields occur in the middle of the month. After the attacks with drones and rockets, oil production has to be massively reduced. Iran is believed to be behind the attacks. This blames the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump then threatens to retaliate against Iran.
November 2019: Iran announces that uranium enrichment has resumed - the regime is withdrawing from other points in the nuclear agreement.
December 2019: At least 25 people die in US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. The attacks targeted the Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran. The airstrikes are a reaction to the continuing Shiite militia attacks on American troops in Iraq, Washington said.
On December 31, demonstrators tried to storm the US embassy in Baghdad. The demonstrators had initially participated in a funeral procession for those killed in the US airstrikes. They subsequently managed to freely pass through all checkpoints for the "Green Zone" in which the US embassy is located and to penetrate to the US agency.
Since then, Shiite militia officers have been attacking the US embassy. Iran is believed to be behind the attacks. The regime in Tehran rejects the allegations, but there is some reason to believe that it is directing the attacks. The Islamic Republic's influence in Iraq is great. Iran will not leave the death of the powerful commander unanswered. How the answer will look is unclear. However, the regime has vowed revenge.
