Goddamnit: if a wider war breaks out use this thread for context

[Agonized-Statism]

It's kind of common knowledge that Iran is looking to extend influence. The list is already extensive- Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah, Houthis, Qatar, probably missing a few. Especially with looming unrest from the global cost-of-living squeeze, if I had to guess, Lebanon is about to blow up and this cold war between Iran and the Saudi-Israeli-Egyptian axis will heat up. Another Lebanese Civil War would create a lot more tension than the current Yemeni proxy conflict, being in a nuclear power's backyard and with the other power's nuclear deal falling through. The US' allies in the region will be pushing hard for intervention, and Iran's ties to Russia and China make it look pretty appetizing to a disgraced military establishment and neo-Cold Warriors getting increasingly angry at the vindication of the declinist narrative.

Iran would be wise not to pursue any openings at this juncture tbh, but of course they will. If global instability brings down a Middle East government in the next twelve months, they and the United States' proxies will be there, and we'll be more nose-to-nose than ever. Eventually someone will throw a punch.