The US and Iran have stepped back from the brink — for now. A week ago, Iranian missile strikes from within its own territory on bases housing US troops in Iraq would have seemed barely thinkable. In the event, what amounted to a relatively restrained response to the US assassination of Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani — and, crucially, the lack of American casualties — provided an opening for Donald Trump to reduce tensions. On Wednesday, while slapping tougher sanctions on Iran and insisting the US was still mulling a counter-response, the US president appeared to seize that opening. Yet even if outright war has been avoided, the road ahead remains hazardous.
就眼下來說，美國和伊朗從戰爭邊緣各退了一步。伊朗從自己領土內發射導彈攻擊美軍駐伊拉克基地，這在一周前還幾乎是不可想象的。但就美國暗殺伊朗高級將領卡西姆?蘇萊曼尼(Qassem Soleimani)而言，伊朗作出這樣的回應已經是相對克制了，關鍵是沒有造成美國人員傷亡，這給了唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)緩和緊張局勢的機會。特朗普也確實在周三抓住了這個機會，雖然他宣布要對伊朗實施更嚴厲的制裁，并堅稱美國仍在考慮如何回擊。然而，盡管全面開戰是避免了，前方道路卻依然危險重重。