As the New Year dawned a serious crisis emerged in the Middle East after US President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Quds special forces. In the aftermath Ben and Agnes speak to two experts about the background to the crisis.&nbsp; &nbsp; , Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, joins Ben to provide some historical context to the state of domestic politics in Iran and the factors driving its foreign policy.&nbsp; Agnes then speaks to , a Senior Research Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme, who explains the effects of the crisis on the political situation in Iraq and delves into the history of Iran-Iraq relations.&nbsp; Read the Expert Comments:

Episode 44: the Iran Crisis, and Politics in Iraq

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