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New Year's Present

1. Why was General Soleimani an important target for the airstrike?

General Soleimani was a high ranking Iranain military official planning to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and the surrounding area. He and his forces have cause hundreds of Americans and allied casualties.

2. How did the Department of Defense (the Pentagon) justify this attack?

The Pentagon claims Soleimani was an imminent threat to Americans and the strike was a defensive action intended to counter a potential attack.

3. How have Iran's leaders responded to the US attack?

The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the president, Hassan Rouhani, vowed to take revenge on America, calling the Americans criminals.

4. How has President Trump responded to Iran's promises of "revenge"?

Trump threatened to attack 52 Iranian sites important to Iran and Iranian culture if Iran takes revenge.

5. Why have some said that Trump's response would be considered a war crime?

Targeting cultural sites is a war crime.

6. What impact has this attack on Iran's leadership had on normal Iranian people?

The attack united the Iranian people as they mourned the death of their national hero/leader.

7. How has the government of Iraq responded to the US attacks on Iranian leadership?

Iranian leadership has recommended the parliament to demand the US troops to leave the country.

8. What was the 2015 Nuclear deal between Iran and the Obama Administration?

The 2015 Nuclear deal was an agreement between Iran and the US in which Iran agreed to limits on enriching uranium and the number of centrifuges while the US would lift sanctions on Iran.

9. What did President Trump do to the Iranian government because he disagreed with the deal?

Trump withdrew the US from the agreement and imposed sanctions on Iran and its oil sector.

10. Which parts of the deal does Iran say it will stop following?

Iran will end its the limitation in the number of the centrifuges, meaning it will have no limits in production, enrichment capacity/percentage, and number of enriched uranium and research and expansion.

11. Which parts of the deal does Iran say it will continue to follow?

Iran will continue allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to review its nuclear research, and is even willing to rejoin the deal if the sanctions are removed.

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