Qatari FM Al Thani is in Tehran talking to Iranian President Rouhani.

[roamer65]

According to ALJazeera, he’s urging restraint. I hope he succeeds.

The seriousness of this situation cannot be understated.

[ArtTownsend]

1. How much you wanna bet that the Saudis and the Emiratis will use this as proof of a Qatar-Iran plot

to attack them (and Israel and the US)?

[roamer65]

2. Rumor has it that Soleimani was in discussions with the Saudis.

If true, peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia would have gone against US interests.

[roamer65]

3. I am praying Al Thani succeeds today.

[dware]

4. Let us hope that cooler heads prevail. nt

[Takket]

5. there really is nothing for Iran to gain by retaliating.......

The question for their leader is will he lose the people if he does not satisfy their desire for revenge.

[roamer65]

6. I think the initial response will be via Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

It gives the Iranians a level of separation from direct confrontation....for now.

[Igel]

7. Yes, there is.

As one person put it--an Iranian, so he knows the context--to not do anything would cause the government to lose "face". You back the strong man, not the weakling; if your perceived power comes from the power of those you identity with, who are your leaders, then you don't like it when they look weak, impotent.

Seems like a real stretch--I mean, what's to come out of making a show of force.

Think American politics. Pelosi doesn't resist, even if what comes out of resistance is theoretical, future, and often doesn't happen, then she's weak and people are willing to throw her under the bus. Leaders must be strong and infallible, and to help their image we make up narratives that show just how strong and infallible they are. When confronted with evidence to the contrary, we feel betrayed, diminished.

And that's in a society that's much less strongly honor-based than Persian, even in the more honor-based subgroups in US society.

[Stuart G]

8. Yes, people have been killed.

Multiply that by thousands, that is what "war" does. Is the death of 10 people, one a leader, worth the death of 10,000? Many innocent people having nothing to do with any of it? Maybe, smarter heads in Iran will prevail. Maybe not. Or if is 25 deaths. Is that worth the death of 10,000? If we go to war with Iran, what will that mean? A war 6000 miles away. It didn't work in Viet Nam, Iraq, and won't work in Iran.

Washington DC to Tehran ...distance, 6300 miles..

Tehran has 8,600,000 people. Metro area 15,000,000.
If we bomb that city in a war, what will the retaliation be?..
And there will be retaliation. It will take time and lots of effort. And well planned.