Three days into the United States and Israel’s military campaign against Iran, the implications are becoming clearer, and they are deeply troubling. This time, Iranian drones and missiles have struck targets across the Persian Gulf, from Bahrain and Qatar to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Most Iranians would welcome the end of a brutal, despotic and economically ruinous regime that has impoverished them for decades. Iran’s neighbours will be anxious at the prospect of collapse or civil war driving waves of refugees across their borders. Their public statements oscillate between urging the Iranian people to revolt and hinting at some accommodation with the current leadership.

Source: The Irish Times March 02, 2026 22:02 UTC