I woke up early this morning, almost two hours before the alarm, with a heavy feeling on my heart that I needed to pray for peace. I got out of bed and did just that. I found myself thinking about a particular Iranian reader of this blog whom I’ve gotten to know via correspondence these past few years. I wrote to him this morning and asked what things look like from where he sits. I publish his response here, with his permission (I promised that I wouldn’t use his name):

In Iran, a lot of people are very angry, some others joyful, that Suleimani was killed! But most seem and sound just resigned! Resigned to future events, whatever they turn out to be, as they feel they can have absolutely zero control or influence on what will happen. I belong to this third group.

Soleimani became somehow popular in some large sections of Iranian society ONLY after ISIS was defeated and he was credited for their defeat. Just imagine yourself in the shoes of an Iranian, who senses ISIS is getting near, or at least has the fear that a lot of Shiite blood would be shed in Iraq by this group. The defeat of ISIS was a huge relief, and, unlike the people in the USA, nobody in Iran or in Iraq credits the US government for its defeat. On the contrary, many people think that American allies directly, and the US government indirectly at least, helped that group gain power. Even some Kurds now have some soft feelings towards the man, as ISIS was only a few kilometers away from Erbil, and it was with the help of the Quds force that they managed to stop ISIS. I was living in Erbil for business purposes when the first ISIS bomb exploded there, ending 10 years of uninterrupted tranquility in the city.

You know I have zero sympathy for the Iranian regime’s ideology and for the so-called “political Islam” to which Soleimani adhered. And I personally don’t regard him as a hero, not certainly MY hero! But I know a lot of other people, with no sympathy for the regime either, even some irreligious folks, who are now extremely angry at the killing of a person whom they regard as their savior from ISIS. And all this adds to their belief that ISIS was a production of USA government.

And add to this the extremely stupid tweet of Trump about targeting Iranian cultural sites!

Your and others’ prayers for peace are really needed! I hope and pray the two countries don’t get into open conflict.

Me too, brother, me too.

I have a terrible feeling about all this. This Reuters report about Soleimani co-ordinating attacks on US troops in Iraq sounds credible. Nevertheless, one has to wonder if this escalation was prudent. And God help us if Trump strikes Iranian cultural sites. That would be a war crime.

I can’t offer you any kind of analysis. Like my Iranian friend, I feel that this is out of our hands. If you pray, pray for peace.

UPDATE: Reader Kevin in OR’s position is more or less where I am:

As someone who has been deployed to Iraq and has seen the results of Soleimani-sponsored attacks on US and coalition forces, I will not shed a tear for his passing. He was a combatant and it was legal under our laws to strike him; he certainly had it coming. That said, it remains to be seen whether it was a wise choice. I wish I had more confidence in the internal decision-making process of the Trump administration, but I don’t. I fear this was a rash decision that will result in more dead American troops and civilians, or, as our Secretary of State characterizes it, “noise.”

UPDATE.2: This is insane.

Absolutely astonishing.

Embassies, ambassadors plenipotentiary, diplomatic cables, closed-door backroom meetings, unofficial channels, press leaks…irrelevant.

It's all just Twitter now. https://t.co/NxO03XukwX

— Antonio García Martínez (@antoniogm) January 5, 2020

UPDATE.3: Time for the “widespread opposition” to speak out loud and clear:

Two senior US officials on Sunday described widespread opposition within the administration to targeting cultural sites in Iran should the United States launch retaliatory strikes against Tehran, despite President Donald Trump saying a day before that such sites are among dozens the US has identified as potential targets.

“Nothing rallies people like the deliberate destruction of beloved cultural sites. Whether ISIS’s destruction of religious monuments or the burning of the Leuven Library in WWI, history shows targeting locations giving civilization meaning is not only immoral but self-defeating,” one of the officials told CNN.

“The Persian people hold a deeply influential and beautiful history of poetry, logic, art and science. Iran’s leaders do not live up to that history. But America would be better served by leaders who embrace Persian culture, not threaten to destroy it,” they added.

“Consistent with laws and norms of armed conflict, we would respect Iranian culture,” the second senior US official said.