Qassem Soleimani the butcher was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad after a couple of months of escalating attacks on Americans culminating in the death of an American contractor.

The positive aspects of this is that the Iranians learnt that the US could and would strike hard and that no one was protected.

The negative aspects are that this could escalate the conflict further to a possible full scale conflict, and the Iranians have already declared that they are going to continue on building a nuclear weapon.

However, given that the existing sanctions are already having a vastly destabilising effect, the vast cost of a nuclear program may bankrupt the regime, and open conflict would worsen things even further.

While this has clear risks for the US, the options are unpalatable for Iran too.

Thank goodness for drones; they provide the capability to pinpoint and take out a target with minimal risk to civilians.

Thank goodness for President Trump. He is the first US president to put the wind up Iran since Ronald Reagan.

An appropriate article title.

But ......

The Middle East (defined very broadly these days) is an incredibly unstable and diverse region, so maybe this could be its Archduke Ferdinand moment ?

Iran could now react in many ways either directly or through its many proxies, blocking the Straits of Hormuz, launching attacks on US bases and/or on Israel, even attacking US troops in central Afghanistan, distant assassinations.

Where will Turkey stand ? Russia ? China ? They could all interfere in/get sucked into an incredibly messy war, stretching from Libya and north Africa across to Afghanistan, from Kenya to the Turkish foothills.

Just saying .....

Joe

Wrong story Joe.

Next they should take out the threat making Ayatollah, & then the next Ayatollah if he makes threats.

If the yanks could build a liberty ship a day during WW11, as well as a couple of liberators & Mustangs, they shouldn't have much trouble making middle eastern skies dark with circling drones, just waiting for another fool to make him self a target by threatening.

Nothing like a bit of personal threat to make these noisy self appointed gods quieten down. Once they realise they are not personally immune from retaliation, the lions will become pussy cats.

the left believe in diplomacy except to those who disagree with them. The Middle Eastern World just laugh and use the left as useful idiots.

In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries they used gun boat diplomacy; today it's drone diplomacy.