[409]
In January 2020, Trump ordered a U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general  Qasem Soleimani, who had planned nearly every significant operation  by Iranian forces over the past two decades.[410] Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites, including some "important to Iran & the Iranian culture", if Iran retaliated.[411] The threat to hit cultural sites was seen as illegal and both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would not attack such sites, but would "follow the laws of armed conflict" and "behave inside the system".[412] Iran did retaliate with ballistic missile strikes against two U.S. airbases in Iraq.[409] On the same day, amid the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Iran accidentally[413] shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 after takeoff from Tehran airport.[414][413][415]
In August 2020, the Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to trigger a mechanism that was part of the agreement that would have led to the return of U.N. sanctions against Iran.