Great. The Iran war spreads to other radical islamists. Now Iraq. Just great!

[applegrove]

Saudi says it intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace reut.rs/3R6D9WX

— Reuters (@reuters.com) 2026-05-17T20:30:25Z

[Igel]

1. Iran's nurtured a variety of groups in the ME.

They're continuing to destabilize Lebanon.

They've created a bit of chaos for Iraq over the last 20 years.

They supported Syria and word is there was a series of assassinations planned by their Lebanese affiliate to be carried out in Syria.

Some Gulf states have arrested and neutralized some cells that were set up by Iran. And there's a claim that there was actually an incursion on a Gulf island under some Gulf state's control but which has been claimed by Iran: This claim is sufficiently vague because Iran said that it was just some (armed) navy folk that got lost and landed on the island.

There is no partner for peace there and hasn't been. Just laying low until they can trigger something that'll advance their neo-imperialist agenda, whether hearkening back to the Persian Empire or the glory days of the Islamic conquest in their part of the world and to the east.