Trump's assassination of Soleimani is a shocking use of a leader 'decapitation' strategy that has rarely worked in the past

Associated Press

• The drone strike that killed Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani, was the most shocking example of the US employing the leader "decapitation" strategy since World War II. 
• Jeffrey Feltman, the former US ambassador to Lebanon, told Insider that it's important to "keep in mind that, even given years of US-Iranian hostilities, killing Soleimani is something new."
• Decapitation strikes generally only offer short-term gains while failing to address root problems. In many cases, such strikes create more problems than they solve. 
• "One way you can say it's clear that this decapitation strike is a problem is the fact it makes it harder for the Americans to fight ISIS in the region," Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group, told Insider. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump's order to kill Iran's most important military leader, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, was the most significant example of the US employing the leader "decapitation" strategy in over half a century — a move that sent shockwaves across the region.

Though the US and Iran have been adversaries for roughly four decades, neither side has assassinated a senior military leader in such a brazen and public way before.

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