PROJECT SYNDICATE
Is Trump’s Iran Strategy Working?
by Mohamed A. El-Erian
January 16, 2020

US President Donald Trump’s authorization of the targeted killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani is, in many ways, similar to his administration’s approach to trade. In both cases, the administration has demonstrated a willingness to surprise by unilaterally leveraging US strength in the pursuit of long-term outcomes, despite considerable short-term risks and without wide consultations. As President Ronald Reagan showed in the 1980s with his strategy vis-à-vis the Soviet Union, such aggressive unilateralism can work. But it is best used selectively and sparingly. READ MORE