On January 14, at 10.00, the Valdai Discussion Club will host an expert discussion titled “US-Iran: the Limits of Escalation.”
Iranian attacks on US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), marked another watershed in Iran-US escalation. However, since the United States did not strike back, the overall situation didn’t spiral out of control. On the day Iran attacked the US bases, US President Donald Trump called for a tightening of sanctions against the Islamic Republic, a revision or end to the JCPOA, and a reduction of tensions in the Middle East.
In both countries, some forces pushed their leadership to pursue military measures, but the realisation prevailed that there is no need for a direct military confrontation at this stage. Although both the United States and Iran have justified their actions with the well-known Article 51 of the UN Charter on Self-Defense, their actions violated international law and make the beginning of war possible.
What next steps will the United States and Iran take in this conflict? What consequences will this escalation have for the region? How will this situation affect regional and global politics? Should Russia mediate in an attempt to resolve it, and will it? The experts at the discussion will address these and other questions.
Speakers:
Working languages: Russian, English.
Information for the media! To attend, please fill out the accreditation form or call +7 926 930 77 63
Information for participants! If you have any questions, please call +7 926 930 77 63