Instead, it shattered the Iraqi state, unleashed sectarian violence that killed hundreds of thousands, and destabilised the region for over a decade. The collapse of central authority there would almost certainly unleash internal conflict among competing factions from hardline clerics and revolutionary guards to ethnic militias and rival political movements. A fractured Iranian state — weakened by internal conflict and unable to project regional influence — would serve the interests of those who view Tehran as their principal geopolitical rival. Far more often, it leaves behind a vacuum filled by violence, fragmentation, and suffering that can last for generations. Thousands of UCD students at a rally in support of the medical student.

Source: Irish Examiner March 06, 2026 06:31 UTC