FROM THE EDITOR.

• Author: Cruickshank, Paul

The January 3, 2020, U.S. drone strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Kata'ib Hezbollah leader Abu Mandi al-Muhandis at Baghdad International Airport will likely have consequences that reverberate across the region and beyond for years. In our first feature article, Michael Knights focuses on the potential consequences for Iraq. He writes that the removal of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, "in combination with resistance from protestors, religious leaders, and the international community, could slow or stall the consolidation of [Tehran-backed] militia power in Iraq." Ariane Tabatabai assesses that although Soleimani "was perhaps unparalleled in his ability to advance Iranian national interests as viewed by the regime," the Quds Force is "unlikely to change its modus operandi significantly and that the new Quds Force commander, Esmail Qaani, is likely to ensure a smooth transition."

In our second feature article, Haroro Ingram, Craig Whiteside, and Charlie Winter--the authors of the soon-to-be-published book The ISIS Reader: Milestone Texts of...