TOKYO/NEW YORK -- The American killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani has poured oil on simmering tensions in the Middle East, heightening the risk of armed conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he made the call to "stop a war," but looks to have decided on gut instinct rather than via thorough analysis. The option was the most extreme presented by American military officials, only on the list "to make other possibilities appear more palatable," The New York Times reported.