Journal on World Affairs, UCLA
In the third week of September, the relationship between Iran and the United States has reached the headlines again. It began on September 14th, when President Trump tweeted about an alleged assasination attempt plotted by Iran. He went on to explain that any attack from Iran will be met with strong retaliation from the United States.
On August 4th, at approximately 6:09 PM, Beirut, a treasured city in the Middle East, was ripped apart by a pair of explosions at the city’s port. Since then, young Lebanese citizens have been risking their lives to help put their country back together again, but many have also wondered if all their work and fervent hope is futile. The question on everyone’s mind is: can Lebanon ever be whole again?
As many as 300,000 people that once lived in the capital are now homeless or injured and are being forced to take shelter in homes of strangers or nearby hospitals, which are barely being held up. Considering the increasing rate of COVID-19 infections, Lebanese first responders worry of the compounding impact of devastation, which is expected to cost around $15 billion in repairs.
On the anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, Americans remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost and the countless first responders who worked tirelessly on ground zero. It has been nineteen years, and the consequences of that fateful day remain ingrained in American society.
On January 28th 2020, President Trump presented his “Peace To Prosperity Plan” which he hoped would provide a solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump claimed that his vision would help facilitate a two-state solution where both parties practice their own sovereignty under equal civil rights.
In Doha, Qatar on February 29, 2020, the United States and the Taliban agreed to a peace deal in an attempt to “officially” end America’s longest war. However, its effectiveness has faltered due to a lack of true diplomatic initiative and cooperation
Recent events have given reason to believe that this battle is far from over. With America’s attention on the coronavirus and the weakening of Iran’s regional enemies due to the pandemic, could this prove to be the perfect scenario for an Iranian retaliation?
Journal on World Affairs, UCLA