The United States has always taken the stance of not negotiating with terrorists. The United States was one of, if not the only nation, that started the war on terror. The US military maintained this policy on Jan. 2, launching a drone strike that killed infamous Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Soleimani earned the US’ designation of a terrorist threat in 2007, and again by the European Union in 2011 when he was found to be helping the Syrian government oppressively fight Syrian protesters. However, he was not always considered an enemy.

Immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. joined him in the fight against the Taliban. The odd history of Soleimani’s relationship with the U.S. makes his death even more strange.

According to media reports, President Trump authorized and ordered a drone strike on Soleimani in response to his plans to attack U.S. military bases, his involvement in a missile strike against an allied Iraqi base, and his approval of the strike against the U.S. Baghdad Embassy. Protesters responsible for the attack against the embassy were chanting, “Death to America!”

There is a wide array of opinions over Trump’s decision, Senior Mae Riggs says, “…I think it was irrational and foolish of Trump to do that. I see his reasonings behind it but he could’ve taken more into consideration before doing something so rash.” Mae represents a cautious mindset towards the situation. Others feel differently, affirming the attack and a headstrong approach to defense. Senior Ryan de Nijs said, “I support it because it’s important to stand up for our people…”

The implications of this conflict are not yet clear, but it does not spell good relations with Iran. Many Iranians did refer to Soleimani as a monster, but just as many regarded him as a hero, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Reports show that the US military is mobilizing to reinforce bases in the area in case of an attack. Despite the growing military presence the US is placing in the area, not all Americans are afraid of a war. Ryan said, “I think that the people saying there’s going to be a war are ridiculous.”