As Iranian strikes expanded beyond U.S. bases in the Gulf and official threats of military retaliation mounted, questions intensified over whether the Gulf states might be drawn—against their will—into the fire of war.

The early end to the Israeli war on Iran, called by Trump himself, appeared to be aimed at helping all parties save face; each side walked away with both gains and setbacks.

The bombing of a major gas field in northern Iraq has raised questions about whether Iran is trying to escalate tensions, especially as its influence in the region declines following Hezbollah's defeat and the fall of Assad's regime.

As opposition factions, with Turkiye's support, succeeded in toppling Assad's regime in Syria, questions arise about whether Iranian-backed militias in Iraq will follow through on threats to supply PKK with drones in retaliation against Ankara's role in Assad’s downfall.

The Iranian counterstrike, while presented as a reprisal for the assault on its consulate in Damascus, appears to have served the strategic interests of both Iran and the Israeli Occupation.