On January 3, 2020, missiles launched by a U.S. drone struck a vehicle convoy leaving the Baghdad, Iraq airport and killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, along with 9 other people, including Iraqi military leaders. The U.S. has argued that the strike was lawful under international law's jus ad bellum rules, but others disagree.

An in depth explanation that analyzes and assesses the U.S. strike that killed Soleimani and develop an argument as to whether the U.S. should engage in strikes like this in the future.

In the paper, students must:

i. Present both the most compelling legal argument to defend the strike under international law and the most compelling legal argument to condemn the strike under international law. ii. Take and defend a position on which argument on the strike's legality is the most compelling. iii. Provide a political analysis that assesses the controversy from the viewpoint of international politics: Are there political arguments that support or are at odds with your conclusion on the strike's legality or illegality? Are there political explanations that help us to better understand the attack or the controversy?