Absent some substantive progress, the Korean Peninsula situation may well deteriorate significantly this year. To prevent a new escalation, the international community should make the DPRK aware of exactly what the red lines are.

Hatred runs deep between the two countries. Thus, even if tensions recede, hostility is likely to remain, or even increase. In the end, it will benefit no one.

The United States has weakened it reputation around the world through the capricious actions of the Trump administration. As a result, even its friends are unlikely to play along.

The killing is a game-changer that will divert America’s attention from other priorities and force Trump to send more troops and weapons to the Middle East rather than withdrawing.

Protected by the vast Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the American homeland is a difficult target for direct retaliation. Iran and its proxies have easier marks around the world.

The Trump administration owes the world a clear explanation of how it justified an operation to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. So far, the strike seems legally dubious, if not flagrantly illegal.

Concerns of China and the United States over science and technology can be resolved by the international community. Avoiding the huge cost of decoupling should be a top consideration.

Misunderstandings spread by poorly informed Western media, often using loaded language, cloud the truth. Academics need to seek primary sources.

In little more than a generation, the Internet has become a vital substrate for economic, social, and political interactions, and it has unlocked enormous gains. Along with greater interdependence, however, come vulnerability and conflict. Attacks by states and non-state actors have increased, threatening the stability of cyberspace.

The tasks and timelines are complex, but it’s still possible to end the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula once and for all. Time is short.