The death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike and the ongoing anti-government protests in Iraq against both Iran and U.S. influence in the country have created a highly volatile situation for the safety of our soft networks in the region, writes Steve Miska and Jure Erlic.

Algeria might be on the precipice of an Egypt-like scenario, with the increasing willingness to use repression signaling a possible military coup to solidify control, write Mieczysław Boduszynski and Jessica Mecellem.

If we, the people of Los Angeles and Tehran, realize that we have much more in common with each other than we do with our respective national governments, then we can come together and promote global engagement, people-to-people exchanges, and diplomacy, writes Sohaela Amiri.

With major developments in the U.S.-China cold war, Hong Kong, Brexit, Syria, and impeachment in the United States, plus hotspots across Latin America and the Middle East, it looks like the world will continue to heat up in 2020, writes DJ Peterson. Here are the international issues to watch this year.