Recently, long-standing tensions between the United States and Iran exploded into violence. The situation has caused many Americans to fear yet another extended conflict in the Middle East. The U.S. military has already been fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq for many years.
President Donald Trump had hoped to withdraw most U.S. troops from the region, as did his predecessor Barack Obama. But they both decided that pulling out all troops could have caused greater bloodshed.
This cartoon comments on the situation by showing a U.S. soldier in Iran. In it, a sign warns of quicksand, a pool of wet sand into which heavy objects sink and get stuck. Quicksand is often used as a symbol of a situation that is incredibly hard to escape. Study the cartoon, then answer the questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1. How would you describe the soldier’s current situation? What details tell you this?
2. What does the soldier’s comment mean? Who are the they he’s thinking of?
3. How might the symbol of quicksand apply to the U.S. in the Middle East?
4. How does the cartoon relate to what you’ve read about the U.S. and Iran?