“Our priority must be to avoid another costly war,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote on Twitter.But there were also distinctions in how the leading Democrats responded, pointing the way toward a larger debate in the party about foreign wars and the US presence in the Middle East. The U.S. government maintained that actions in the months leading up to the strike triggered the U.S. right to self-defense.
The killing of Soleimani significantly heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Iran vowed “harsh retaliation,” leading to fears of an all-out conflict. In the days following the strike, Iran launched missile attacks on U.S. military bases in Iraq, resulting in injuries to American personnel. The U.S. responded by deploying additional troops to the Middle East and issuing warnings of further action if American assets were targeted.
