Good morning and happy New Year! Our newsletter services resume today in 2020! This week, we look at the possible ripple effects of tensions between the U.S. and Iran in Brazil. Plus, the main stories that happened during the holiday season. (This newsletter is for premium and standard subscribers only. Become one now!)
What happens to Brazil as tensions between the U.S. and Iran rise?
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the military to assassinate Qassim Suleimani, who was considered to be Iran’s second-most important leader. Mr. Suleimani answered directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his death is a direct blow to the heart of the Iranian regime. Retaliation is expected, and tensions grew higher as Iran announced it would no longer abide by any limits on its enrichment of uranium, according to Iranian state TV.
- Iraqi lawmakers voted 170-0 on Sunday in favor of expelling American troops from their country. The move is a strategic victory for Tehran. According to the New York Times, “the attack was viewed in Iraq as a violation of the nation’s sovereignty, and the country’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it had summoned the American ambassador in Baghdad.”
Who...