By Annica Wu
Staff Writer
On Jan 2., Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani was killed by an airstrike directed by President Donald Trump in Baghdad. Soleimani was a very prominent leader in Iran, his death threatens escalation of war between the US and Iran.
On Dec. 27 of last year, “Militia group Kataib Hezbollah attacks the K1 military base near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk with rockets, killing an American contractor and wounding several American and Iraqi personnel,’’ reports NPR.

On Dec. 31, Trump then threatens Iran on his Twitter account, stating, “Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities […], it is a threat,” which led the U.S. Embassy being stormed on Dec. 31.
Built up tensions between the U.S. and Iran led Trump to attack and kill Soleimani, upsetting Iranians who vowed to take revenge while mourning for the murder of their leader.
The crashing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 on Jan. 8, causing the deaths of 176 people, was confirmed to be carried out, accidentally, by Iran because they mistook it for a dangerous aircraft. This event caused increased suspicion of the Iranian government, reports the Washington Times.
Originally deemed a spontaneous attack, NBC News revealed that Trump may have had plans to take out Soleimani as long as 7 months ago. U.S. intelligence officials have tracked Soleimani’s actions for years, with Trump stating that he will only take action once Iran has killed an American.
BBC speculates that Trump might have created this controversy because it could help him get reelected.
“The ‘rally around the flag’ effect boosted George HW Bush’s standing during the 1991 Gulf War. George W. Bush saw his approval surge to record levels in the days after the September 11 attacks and subsequent bombing of Afghanistan”, BBC writes.
Many people, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, suspect he chose this time to attack in order to distract from the impeachment trials.
Warren stated to Times of Israel, “I think people are starting to ask ‘why now did he do this? Why not delay?’”
Despite the controversies, the two countries hope to find peace.
Trump stated on Jan. 8 to CNS News, “The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”