He was diplomatically cleared by Iraq to enter Iraq

It was a planned trip too

This wasn't some secret operation of his that the US stopped

I understand

Do you think the Iraqis knew about the strike?

Maybe

if they did, do you think they provided feedback?

If they did though they would be responsible for assisting in the assassination of an Iranian official which could lead to war between Iran and Iraq

it maight have been their idea to let him in so he could get blapped

I think it is more likely though that the US did it by themselves

being second in command doesn't make him not a combatant.

"rate this strike, so that we can provide even better service next time :)"

He wasn't a combatant at the time is the point i am making

He was taking a planned visit to Iraq which had been approved by Iraq

Might just be a backstabby way of knocking the guy out for Iraq

it's possible that the whole thing was planned out like this

That could easily lead to war though

possibly

Iraq would have had to plan out the operation in advance

It could, but sometimes countries/people take risks

They may consider it worth it

War with the US would be way worse for Iran's leaders than it would be for the US.

Planning and carrying out an assassination against an important government official of a powerful country near you doesn't seem like something Iraq would do

Iran might not be turned into a liberal paradise, but the whole Iranian leadership would be on a deck of playing cards.

We should just leave Iran alone

Iran should leave everyone else alone

We are spending billions and losing soldiers lives and we are gaining nothing for it

this whole thing started because they were trying to sneak oil to Syria

If Western Intervention was so successful all the time Libya would be a democratic paradise by now

Then they started seizing tankers near Hormuz

nation building is retarded

We shouldn't have been in Syria either

im not saying nation build iran

syria was more of a moral thing but it turned into a total clusterfuck where the only choice was what kind of shit you wanted to eat

The US intervening in Syria was stupid

They essentially ended up funding terrorism against themselves

honestly i think syria was just a way to make sure Russia didn't get a stronger hold in the midle east, which is of course the genesis of all this shit in the first place

They still did though

Iran = Russia, Iraq = US

Assad is still in power

yeah