Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian Major General, was assassinated Jan. 3 by a U.S. drone strike near the Baghdad International Airport. With Russia being an Irananian military ally, if the conflict in Iran continues to escalate, the results could be catastrophic.

The war in Afghanistan has raged on for almost 20 years, and there is no reason to believe a war in Iran would be any shorter. The U.S. should do whatever it can to avoid a war, or any future conflict, in Iran.

The U.S. has a long history in Iran, dating back to 1953, when in order to maintain oil supply, the U.S. overthrew the Iranian Prime Minister and put their own leader in place. The Iranian people later revolted, and a new Islamic republic was established. This was the beginning of a dangerous relationship with Iran, and would give Iran a reason to retaliate in the future.

From 1979-80, Iran held 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. In 1988, the U.S. launched an attack against an Iranian oil platform, destroying a warship according to History.com. Sporadic attacks between these two nations have led to nothing but harm and tragedy for both sides. 

A war in Iran would lead to more of the same, and would not guarantee a future end to conflict. There is over 50 years of evidence showing that attacks and violent reactions between the two nations have led to nothing more but lives lost. The U.S. is still fighting a war in Afghanistan, even after almost 20 years. There is no reason to believe a war in Iran would be different. 

7,018 American lives have been lost in the Afghanistan war, and 52,945 others have been wounded, according to iCasualties.org, a war database. The damage this has caused to families is unrevertable, and the tragedies of war never change. Lives lost, injuries and mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder are a constant in wars.

The number of refugees from another war would also place a great burden on other European nations. Families would be forced out of their homes and flee far from the potential bombings and attacks on their homeland.

A war in Iran would also likely lead to conflict with Russia, since Russia and Iran signed a classified military agreement last year. Russia boasts one of the biggest inventories of missiles in the world. The amount of damage they could do without a single soldier stepping on the battlefield is immense.

Iran has threatened the U.S. and stated they want to harm the country and its leaders. However, the best solution to this is a peaceful one. Enough lives have already been lost and another war would be expensive. Iran has launched missiles near U.S. bases in Iraq, warning the government and showing they are capable of harming soldiers. 

President Donald Trump has stated that he does not want a war in Iran, so it would not be a challenge to avoid a large conflict now, even after the assissnation of Soleimani.

The only way to avoid the inevitable pain of war is to not have one at all. The government should approach conflict in Iran looking for peace, as it is the best option for everyone involved.