[erentz]

It’s hard to imagine what the response is going to be. I don’t think a lot of people realize who this guy was or what this represents. (A lot of people are probably confused about what an Iranian general is doing in Iraq in the first place.)

I can only hope for the best outcome being something like Iraq asking us to leave, and then largely falling into the fold of Iran. And hopefully that not being opposed by the US (unlikely) and it being all the victory Iran needs. Maybe something like that.

The alternative at a minimum is going to be many more lives lost and billions spent. At the other end of the spectrum tens of thousands of US lives, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Iranian lives, and trillions more in US dollars thrown on the fire.

[Zhenya]

Why would the best outcome be the specific thing this action was made to prevent - the overtaking of Iraq by Iran?

[AnimalMuppet]

I don't think that's the specific outcome this action was intended to prevent. I think it was intended to prevent this guy from orchestrating any more killing of Americans. I think it was triggered by this guy's people killing an American contractor last week.

[jki275]

Iran & Iraq united is probably the worst outcome possible, as it will ensure our continued involvement to protect shipping throughout the persian gulf.

[gremlinsinc]

why should we GAF about shipping in the persian gulf. Cut our losses, and get the hell out of dodge. Let the rest of the world worry about it. I think Trump wants a war -- to help his campaign and 'legacy' such as it is. So we'll probably get a war.

[jki275]

No, Trump doesn’t want war.

Nobody actually wants war.

Go study up on the tanker wars and what Iran has done to the world economy in the past.

We’ve been in the gulf for decades, doing what our Navy does best - keeping peace.

[pieter_mj]

>(A lot of people are probably confused about what an Iranian general is doing in Iraq in the first place.)

Looting Iraq?

[freeflight]

> A lot of people are probably confused about what an Iranian general is doing in Iraq in the first place.

Coordinating with the local PMF forces [0] which just a bit earlier the US hit [1] in retaliation for the killed US contractor.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Mobilization_Forces

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50951742

[foogazi]

> I can only hope for the best outcome being something like Iraq asking us to leave

You think the US would leave Iraq to Iran ?

Iraq is essentially a buffer for SA / Israel