Two days after the U.S. strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, the American-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq is suspending its mission. For now, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement Sunday, it will focus on protecting Iraq bases that host coalition forces that have been repeatedly attacked in recent weeks—and which could now be the target of retaliatory assaults. It said the pause of U.S. operations against ISIS would be “subject to continuous review.” Experts have warned that the drone strike against Soleimani could give ISIS an opening to rebuild.
