Qassem Soleimani

Afghan Army commandos attend their graduation ceremony after a 3 1/2-month training program, at the Commando Training Center on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday.

Opinion: In Iran Crisis, Iraq And Afghanistan Risk Becoming Collateral Damage

1:56pm January 13, 2020

by Nancy Lindborg

As this high-stakes situation plays out, the danger is that Iran's fragile neighbors, Iraq and Afghanistan, will become collateral damage, writes the head of the United States Institute of Peace.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announce new sanctions on Iran at the White House on Friday.

'Imminent' Threat — Trump Justification Of Attack On Iranian General — Is Undefined

7:16pm January 10, 2020

by David Welna

Administration officials say Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed to prevent "imminent attacks." They're being questioned about what "imminent" means.

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, is defending the Trump administration's decision to order a drone strike against Iran's top military commander.

National Security Adviser Defends Briefing On Iran Criticized By Lawmakers

8:47pm January 09, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

Lawmakers say Trump administration officials have evaded questions about the president's ability to attack Iran. In an interview with NPR, Robert O'Brien said officials can't discuss "hypotheticals."

At the White House on Wednesday, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien hears President Trump address the nation on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops.

Transcript: NPR's Full Interview With NSC Adviser Robert O'Brien

6:21pm January 09, 2020

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien about tensions with Iran and the future of the U.S. presence in the Middle East.

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi delivers a speech in June during a U.N. Security Council meeting.

Iran's U.N. Ambassador: Strike On U.S. Bases Was 'Measured, Proportionate Response'

10:08am January 09, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Majid Takht Ravanchi, speaking to Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep, says Iran has no plans for further action against the U.S. but is prepared if Washington renews its aggression.

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A protester waves the Iraqi flag in Baghdad on Wednesday. Both the U.S. and Iran have launched attacks in Iraq in the past week — including the Iranian missile strike on bases housing U.S. military personnel.

What We Know: Iran's Missile Strike Against The U.S. In Iraq

7:05pm January 08, 2020

by Bill Chappell

Satellite photos show the Iranian strike caused extensive damage — but apparently no loss of life — at the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq. "We suffered no casualties," President Trump said Wednesday.

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This aerial photo shows Ain al-Assad air base in the western Anbar desert, Iraq, in December 2019.

Iran Launches Missile Attacks On Military Bases Housing U.S. Troops In Iraq

10:08pm January 07, 2020

by Vanessa Romo

Iran says the airstrikes were carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in retaliation for the U.S. assassination of Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at a meeting with officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Tehran in September. Zarif spoke to NPR on Tuesday.

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Iran's Foreign Minister: U.S. Strike On Soleimani An Act Of Terrorism And War

12:54pm January 07, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Speaking with NPR in Tehran on Tuesday, Mohammad Javad Zarif said the U.S. "will pay" for the attack that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani last week.

During a funeral procession on Monday, mourners surround a truck carrying the coffins of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others who were killed in Iraq by a U.S. drone strike.

World News

Stampede At Funeral For Iran's Soleimani Kills At Least 32, Injures Scores

9:50am January 07, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Iranian television said the stampede took place in Kerman, Soleimani's hometown, where the Quds Force commander slain in a U.S. airstrike last week was to be buried.

During a funeral procession at Revolution Square in Tehran on Monday, crowds surround the coffins of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others killed in Iraq by a U.S. drone strike.

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Ayatollah Weeps And Iranians Rail Against U.S. During Funeral For Slain Commander

1:05pm January 06, 2020

by Scott Neuman

Caskets holding the bodies of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others killed in a U.S. drone strike last week in Iraq were paraded though the streets of Tehran as mourners chanted "death to America."