PUSHED TO THE BRINK
IT’S the most significant political assassination since the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. That’s how some commentators are describing the death of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who perished in a drone attack at the hands of the USA.
President Donald Trump called it a “devastating blow against a regime plotting global political atrocities”. But others say that, much as the archduke’s death sparked World War 1, Soleimani’s killing could trigger World War 3.
As thousands of Iranians mourn the demise of their powerful general, the rest of the globe fears tensions could ratchet up in the volatile Middle East.
We take a closer look.
HOW IT BEGAN
New Year’s Eve at the US embassy compound in Baghdad,
