Sennott: The Killing Of Soleimani Risks A Wider Destabilization Of The Middle East

Iran Soleimani — A mourner holds a poster of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as she walks back from a funeral ceremony for him and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone attack on Friday, passing a satirical drawing of the U.S. flag painted on the wall of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran Monday.

Arjun Singh is a producer for Boston Public Radio. A California native, Arjun moved to Boston to study international relations at Boston University. Prior to working at WGBH, Arjun worked at a tech company and for a political campaign.

January 06, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

Tensions between Iran and the United States intensified after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani on Friday. Two days later, President Donald Trump confirmed a tweet he sent Saturday night that said the U.S. had identified 52 sites in Iran to strike should Iran take any retaliatory action for the killing.

In its aftermath, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatolla Ali Khamenei promised "forceful revenge" for Soleimani's death as thousands marched in the Iranian capital of Tehran to mourn the general during his funeral Monday.

WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott told Boston Public Radio Monday that the crisis and its progression highlights the danger of Trump’s mercurial decision making process.

“I think we’re looking at our greatest fear,” Sennott said during an interview with Boston Public Radio on Monday. “We’re looking at a situation where [Trump’s] instincts to be impulsive have created a situation that is truly perilous now for a wider regional conflagration.”

Sennott is the founder and CEO of the GroundTruth Project