Pete Buttigieg refused to answer The New York Times about how he'd handle Iran, North Korea, and other key foreign policy challenges

• Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg declined to answer numerous questions about his positions on leading foreign policy challenges posed in a recent New York Times questionnaire.
• Buttigieg chose not to answer a host of questions about Iran, North Korea, Israel and Palestine, Afghanistan, Russia, and the use of force for regime-change, among other issues.

• Every other 2020 Democratic candidate, except for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard who didn't respond to the questionnaire, answered all or the majority of the Times' 36 questions.

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Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg declined to answer a slew of questions about his positions on leading national security and foreign policy questions posted recently by the New York Times.

For example, Buttigieg, who has made his military service in Afghanistan a centerpiece of his appeal to voters, chose not to answer a question about whether American troops would still be in that country at the end of four years in office. That was just one of the 19 questions about the most pressing foreign policy challenges - from Iran, North Korea, Israel and Palestine, Afghanistan, Russia, to the use of force for regime-change - that the candidate left unanswered.

The mayor didn't say whether he'd continue personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whether Palestinian refugees should have a right to return to Israel, or whether China's relationship with Hong Kong and its treatment of Muslim minority groups should affect US-Chinese trade relations.

On President Donald Trump's recent decision to assassinate Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, Buttigieg didn't say whether the killing was legal, justifiable, or wise. Instead, he pointed The Times to a statement he made following the attack in which he said there are "serious questions about how this decision was made and whether we are prepared for the consequences."

Spokespeople for Buttigieg's campaign didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.

Every other 2020 Democratic candidate, except for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard who didn't respond to the questionnaire, answered all or the majority of the 36 questions posed by the Times.

The mayor frequently refers to his 7-month deployment to Afghanistan when asked about his foreign policy credentials and has generally espoused policy positions similar to those of former President Barack Obama. He's said that he would rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal, and withhold aid from Israel if it annexes part of the West Bank.

The Times noted that Buttigieg only answered some of the questions, something Slate reporter Ashley Feinberg also pointed out on Twitter.

This comes hours before seven candidates will take the stage in New Hampshire for the first Democratic presidential debate following the inaugural primary contest of the season. While Buttigieg declared victory in the Iowa caucus, the Democratic National Committee called for a recanvass in Iowa following widespread inconsistencies in the reported results.