Iran's retaliatory missile strikes on bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops, following the U.S. assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, have dramatically raised tensions in the Middle East.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei called the missile strike a "slap in the face" of the Americans and called for U.S. troops to leave the Middle East.

The Iranian missile strikes come just days after the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel all foreign military forces from Iraq.

Democracy Now! speaks with Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan; Ali Kadivar, assistant professor of sociology and international studies at Boston College; and Anna Eskamani, Florida Democratic state representative from Orlando, who is the first Iranian American to be elected to any public office in Florida.

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González.

Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.

As the alternative to television networks owned by billionaires, governments, and corporations, our network amplifies underrepresented voices and those working on the front lines of social, economic and environmental justice.

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling and online at freespeech.org

Ali Kadivar Amy Goodman Anna Eskamanni Ayatollah Khamenei Democracy Now! Donald Trump Free Speech TV Iran Juan Cole Middle East Qassem Soleimani Soleimani U.S. Assassination United States War