4e What happened to the rest of the world?

[Raellus]

I can't remember why the Soviets invade Iran in v1. I don't think either superpower needs to start the war in the Middle East, but I can see both getting drawn into regional conflict eventually.

In 4e, the Gulf War happens. So, one could posit that Iraq is so destabilized by sanctions and periodic punitive air strikes that Saddam loses his grip on power. Sectarian and ethnic insurgencies flare up. Perhaps he cracks down on the local Shia. Iran steps in to protect their co-religionists. Saudi Arabia isn't about to let Iran take effective control of neighboring Iraq. The "Great Powers" of the region, Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia, both want their respective preferred sect to take power in Iraq to tip the balance of power in the region in their favor, so they launch into a proxy war there. It's spirals out of control, until both nations send large conventional forces to duke it out in Iraq. Turkey teams up with Saudi Arabia and Syria sides with Iran.

At that point, things start to get messier. Oil shipments to the West are disrupted by the fighting in the region. The US decides to intervene militarily. The Soviets aren't about to let the US win the upper hand in the Middle East, so they send forces to the Middle East.

So, for a while at least, it's:
Saudi Arabia, Turkey & the USA v. Iran, Syria, and the USSR

OR, before the superpowers intervene in the Middle East, things get really nuts when Israel, fearing Iranian victory in Iraq, decides to nuke strategic military targets in Iran...

As we saw in '91, Israel getting involved can potentially rally Muslim nations, regardless of sect, to join forces against the common foe.

Thoughts?

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