For those who are geostrategically inclined, it might be noticed that our topplings of Saddam and the Taliban have boxed in Iran between US troops both east and west. If we do decide to topple Iran, this situation makes it much easier to do so waging a multi-front campaign; if we don’t do so, we nevertheless benefit from the threat of such an action, and the moderating influence it must have on Iran’s behavior (who knows how bad it would have been had we not been in our present position?). Their only action against us has been to attempt to undermine those campaigns, and they have been unwilling to escalate their support for indigenous Shia and infiltrating Al Qaeda elements beyond a certain rather low point, for fear of what it would tip us into in response.

However, if we DO decide to move on Iran, I believe that it would be preceded by a toppling of Assad’s Syria, not only to guard our western flank against attack from behind, but also to open up their eastern Mediterranean seaports for use to transship massive amounts of military and materiel.