Seth J. Frantzman

"There will be a day soon that the Iranian people will be in charge of their own fate, not the murderous ayatollah’s regime,” Graham said.

While global attention is on the Iran war, China quietly advances its military capabilities, focusing on modernization, innovation, and defense spending.

It was the latest attempt by the Iranian regime and Iranian-backed militias to target the UAE, which has been attacked with hundreds of drones and missiles since the war with Iran broke out.

Iraq is now at a crossroads. Iran is increasingly turning Iraq into a battlefield. Iraq appears unwilling to rein in the militias in Iraq. Iraqis know the situation is dire.

Riyadh is angry about Iran’s “sustained campaign of aggression against the Kingdom, fellow GCC and other nations, cautioning that continued escalation would ultimately devastate Iran itself."

Iran helped the Houthis for more than a decade, arming them with the know-how to build drones and ballistic missiles. Now, will the Houthis help their friends in Tehran?

The Gulf countries are trying to put on a brave face of resilience in the face of the threat. While there has been some talk of retaliation, it would likely require Riyadh to lead the way.

Bush promised a world order of peace and democracy, a rules-based world order where countries wouldn’t invade one another. It was also a world where the US was the global hegemon.

"I don't want to see the Kurds get hurt and killed. And we've had a good relationship. They're willing to go in. But we really, I've told them I don't want them to go in," the US president said.

As Iranian proxies target Iraq's Kurdistan, the US is reportedly courting Kurdish Iranian militias for a ground front. Groups remain split between seizing the moment and avoiding total war.