Satellite photos reveal extent of damage from Iranian strike on al Assad air base in Iraq. In the official Iranian government response to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, dozens of missiles were launched against the Irbil and Ain al Assad air bases. Iran contacted Iraqi officials and notified them of the intended targets. Iraq notified other nations of the impending attack which resulted in no loss of life, but a demonstration of Iranian weapons. It was a clear message to the US as to the abilities of the Iranian military.

The government of Iran is finished for the moment, but the Quds Force and the Kataib Hezbollah may launch their own response to the US assassination of their leaders.

Saudi Arabia sought dialogue with Iran. Then the US-Iranian conflict escalated:

She (Emily Hawthorne, a Middle East specialist at Stratfor) says Saudi Arabia’s efforts toward a Saudi-Iranian detente are in a very early stage and being mediated by other countries, such as Pakistan and Iraq.

In fact, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi told parliament last Sunday that he was mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia. He said Soleimani had been bringing a message from Iran for the Saudis on the day he was killed in Baghdad.

(US Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo threw cold water on any notion that Soleimani was on a diplomatic mission. “Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that this kind gentleman, this diplomat of great order, Qassem Soleimani, had traveled to Baghdad for the idea of conducting a peace mission?” he said on Tuesday. “We know that wasn’t true.”

The Trump administration has said it conducted the drone strike against Soleimani to prevent planned attacks against Americans.

Yes, it is absurd to have generals like George C. Marshall, Alexander Haig, Colin Powell, or Directors of the CIA like Mike Pompeo become diplomats 😈