INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

摘要

A U.S. drone attacked a vehicle and killed Iran's General Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi deputy commander. Iran's religious and military leaders promised revenge. The U.S. has already added new economic sanctions against Iran, and Iran plans to increase its nuclear activities. Inside Iran, the economy and its citizens are already suffering. As a result of the sanctions, Iran's GDP contracted an estimated 4.8% in 2018 and is forecast to shrink another 9.5% in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. The unemployment rate rose from 14.5% in 2018 to 16.8% in 2019. Iran's government itself forecasts that oil export revenues will be reduced by 70% in the next Iranian fiscal year.