Killing of Soleimani seen as rapid escalation of US policy Odds of military conflict double: Eurasia Group Steady prices, US shale bolstered hardline policy Washington — Just over three weeks ago, a US-Iran prisoner swap appeared to signal a slight thawing in tensions between the two countries, leading some analysts to speculate that talks, even a potential easing of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports, might be on the horizon. But after the Pentagon confirmed late Thursday it had killed Iran’s top military commander , General Qassim Soleimani, in airstrikes in Baghdad, chances of sanctions relief appear thinner than ever and odds of a military conflict have increased as the US maximum pressure campaign against Iran has escalated faster than most anticipated. “Just about a month ago the emerging conventional wisdom was that Trump would cut […]