The killing of Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and considered to be the second most powerful man in Iran, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, marks a decisive victory against Iranian terror.

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Arab states have long complained of Iranian interference in their internal affairs.

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They also warned the international community that this was simply not a regional problem, but an international one.

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While Iran’s foreign meddling has been going on for years, with the creation of militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen to carry out its agenda, the US recently got a very direct taste of the threat those militias pose.

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In Iraq, Iran-backed militias for months have been targeting US interests and bases, which led to the killing of one US contractor last week.

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US officials have been warning that the situation could escalate very quickly and warned Iran there would be consequences for such actions.

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Iran ignored past warnings

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Iran seemingly dismissed those warnings and continued its attacks.

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Then came a series of tit-for-tat exchanges between the US and Iraqi militias—the most seriously direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran since tensions began a year ago.

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The US responded by attacking the Kata’ib Hezbollah base in Kirkuk with more than 30 rockets.

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In response to that attack, pro-Iran militias including Hashed Shaabi—who fought Daesh in coordination with the US just a few years back—stormed the US embassy in Baghdad, setting it ablaze and chanting ‘Down, down, USA’.

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This was the most serious Iranian challenge to US interests in Iraq and US President Donald Trump had no choice but to decisively respond by taking out Soleimani.

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‘Strike aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks’

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Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement, adding that the strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attacks.

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Tehran will think twice now before ordering its proxies to fight on its behalf.

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The killing of Soleimani proves that Iran’s actions have consequences and they should not take American threats lightly.

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Instead, it needs to focus on its own domestic situation where unemployment is skyrocketing and prices have soared, sparking the most serious anti-government protests, in years.

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Iran must learn that fomenting strife in the region, backing militias, and openly defying US threats comes with a price.

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His death will have significant ramifications in all regional battlefields such as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

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They have lost its chief foreign policy architect and military strategist and will be struggling to pick up the pieces after this decisive defeat.

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